The Story of My Lives
by Shrrg
Summary: A series of one shots including all the characters, in several different pairings to match everyone's cup of tea. I wrote this because I've been seeing some of these around lately, so I figured I'd go with the flow! Rated T for big kid language and some suggestive themes. Please Review!
1. Out of Focus

**Okay so, I decided to start a series of one shots taking place both in the Afterlife and in the original life. I know I was working on The King, T.K's origin story, but honestly I felt I was losing my touch on that story line so I figured I could work on this instead, since each chapter doesn't depend on the others to exist as a whole. So anyway, please enjoy!**

Chapter 1: Out of Focus

Noda gently wiped the flat side of his precious halberd as he patrolled the halls of the school. There'd been a stain left on it after he'd finished slicing up some dead trees when he was training. A man did not bear a defaced weapon.

It was the middle of the afternoon, and the NPCs were out in the halls, talking and laughing in their irritatingly colloquial ways, as Noda made his rounds through the halls. Yuri had employed him to walk around and keep an eye for for any more shadows, and that was what he was going to do; Yuri was the only person he knew who had any sense in their head.

As he rounded a corner, Noda thought he heard something peculiar. It was like the sound knives made when they were slowly drawn across each other's edges, only multiplied in speed by about a thousand time. Furrowing his brow, he turned his head, trying to locate the source of the sound. It was coming from a closed door at the end of the hall, which was deserted at the moment. The storage room; what was going on in there? Narrowing his eyes, Noda prepared his halberd, approaching the dark green door.

He waited a second just in front of the entrance, listening as the sounds of flashing knives continued without hesitation, and he kicked the door open, swinging his halberd over his head and shouting, "Heeyaaah!" before stopping short.

Noda had been expecting shadows or two NPCs doing something stupid or something equally suspicious, but instead he saw his fellow SSS member Shiina sitting in the darkest corner of the room, surrounded by a small army of stuffed puppy dolls. She had her back turned to him, unaware of his presence or just choosing to ignore him, as her two small knives flew through the air at an impossible speed as she manufacturing more dolls seemingly out of scratch. They were all identical, yet the ninja's face was impossibly calm as she worked, her concentration perfect, mental power unbelievable.

Furrowing his brow, Noda lowered the head of his halberd, trying to creep up on the red eyed girl and ask what the hell she was doing when the Kage were attacking.

"Your balance is completely off," a bored voice sounded from the darkest corner of the room.

Noda halted. So she had noticed him, after all. It annoyed him how she could know he was there and choose not to acknowledge it. He saw it as cowardice. Then, realizing what the ninja had just said to him, he barked, "What do you mean, off balance?"

Shiina's blades didn't even change in their progress as she replied. "You entered the room with your weapon above your head and torso exposed. It would have been a simple matter for me to turn and impale you through the heart with a shruikan."

Noda gritted his teeth, tightening his grip on the handle of his halberd. How dare this silly girl judge his tactics? He hadn't lost yet.

"Anger is counterproductive to the goal of complete and total domination," Shiina continued in her dull, infuriatingly controlled voice. "Which is what you always aim for, right?"

Noda could feel the heat rising inside of him. It wasn't what she had said that irked him, he didn't care for it, but he was just humiliated that she could analyze him so thoroughly and pick out his faults with such ease. Not to mention that he didn't understand half of the words she was using.

Snorting, he said, "Shut up, ninja girl. You don't know what your talking about."

Meanwhile, Shiina suddenly stopped swinging her blades through the air. Confused at this sudden development, he could barely react as the female ninja turned and launched herself at him. In less than a second, he was flat on his back with the wind blown out of his lungs. His weapons clattered to the end of the room, sending sparks everywhere. Shiina's shrewd red eyes stared down at him impassively as she held a knee planted to his chest, keeping him down and firmly so.

Struggling, he shouted, "What the hell are you doing, you crazy bitch!? Get off of me!"

"Do not provoke an enemy who has you trapped," Shiina intoned, completely ignoring Noda's offensive comment. "As I mentioned, your balance is pitiful. I barely had to move to knock you down. Everything you do is counterproductive."

She got off of him, then, and sat back down in the darkest corner of the room to resume her intense work. Before she could start though, Noda sprang to his feet and yelled, charging the ninja. He even left his halberd on the floor, something he would usually not have done, but not when he was as infuriated as he was right now.

Without moving her head, Shiina threw at arm behind her and drilled a punch into Noda's knee, taking the steam out of his charge and sending him flying over Shiina's lowered head, crashing into the wall and sliding to a stop at the feet of the girl. Rubbing the bruise that slowly rose on his head, he hollered, "What the hell is wrong with you-"

"Never announce an attack to the opponent before you execute," Shiina interrupted him smoothly. "Your tactics are horrible, your defense is silly, and your balance is still pitiful. Learn."

She waited until Noda moved out of her corner before swinging her knives through the air again. Rubbing his head, the axe bearer glared drills at the ninja's head, before going to retrieve his halberd from the concrete floor. Still grumbling, he threw the door open and stomped outside, slamming the door closed as he left.

When Noda was gone, Shiina pursed her lips in disapproval. _How shallow minded,_ she thought.

Three days later, Shiina was leaning against the wall next to the door of the Battlefront's Anti Angel Headquarters. Although in Shiina's opinion, it wasn't "Anti Angel" enough. A swinging hammer trap at the door, designed by Noda no less, was hardly sufficient for keeping the powerful Angel from entering the premises.

Yuri clicked the mouse on her laptop, and her Operations presentation closed, and the briefing was over. "The operation begins in five hours," she said sternly. "In the meantime, everyone get out and relax. Prepare. Do whatever. Just be ready."

Shiina waited until everyone left the room before exiting herself; it was always a blunder to leave a room first, when someone could attack you from behind. Yuri, of course, did not leave the headmaster's room, but the female ninja believed their leader had a bit more wits than most of the idiots she commanded, and that was enough to earn her conditional trust.

Shiina kept her shawl wrapped tightly around her face as she made her way through the halls, heading back to her beloved shadowy corner in the storage room. Her cute dolls were waiting for her.

A few minutes later, she turned the last corner leading to the storage room. Before she could make her way into the next hall though, she felt a sudden change in the influx of air around her; snapping her eyes open, she caught sight of the blade of a halberd speeding towards her. Throwing her arm up, she caught the weapon by the neck of its handle, stopping its progress an inch front her eyes. Exerting just enough pressure to keep the weapon from destroying her, she flicked her eyes down and caught sight of Noda. Narrowing her crimson irises, she drove her other fist at him, but he blocked it with his shoulder, absorbing the blow. Eyes widening, Shiina pulled her hand back. He was more solid; harder to move. His stance had widened, and he hadn't swung his stupid axe above his head before attacking.

Throwing the blade of the axe away from her, Shiina leaped back and muttered, "Your balance has improved."

Grinning triumphantly," Noda pointed his halberd at her and declared, "You got that right, lady. I almost never make mistakes, but when I do, I can always fix them."

Frowning, Shiina's hands flicked out, seizing the head of the axe pointing at her and twisting it. Noda cried out as his arms were twisted with it. Releasing the halberd, the ninja walked past him and said cooly, "Never point a weapon directly at an opponent," Before opening the door to the storage room.

Grumbling, Noda propped his weapon on his shoulder and stalked away, mumbling, "Stupid bitch..." She listened to his footsteps fade slowly away.

Stepping into the storage room and closing the door behind her, Shiina thought, _How shallow minded. _She smiled a bit this time, though.

**Okay, so I thought this might be a nice little thing to write between these two. Seeing as there wasn't much interaction between them in the anime. Please review! It keeps me motivated!**

**-Shrrg**


	2. A Leader's Sentiments

Chapter 2: A Leader's Sentiments

Yuri sat back in her high backed chair, feet propped up on her mahogany desk as she watched her small army file out of the room. Another good briefing over, an instruction to act normal for now, but try their best not to disappear. Ever since Tachibana had been removed from her position of Student Council President, their surroundings had grown almost a little too peaceful, and it was setting them all on edge. For the whole time, one of their more important goals had been to bring down the Angel who spent all her time trying to obliterate them, but even when she was gone every still found themselves apprehensive. Los of them suspected she was just biding her time. Yuri really didn't know. She wasn't even sure what Tachibana _was,_ for heaven's sake.

_I wonder why I think about her as Tachibana now? _The Battlefront leader pondered, spinning in her chair to observe the late afternoon melt into the beginnings of evening. Tachibana was, in the end, a powerful Angel who had more than enough power to destroy them all if she so wished. It was just her code that kept her from doing that. After all, she only tried to stop them when they rebelled. But why was she now known as Tachibana in her mind, rather an Tenshi or Angel? Was it, perhaps, due to her recent removal from the Council Presidency? Did her loss of power make her somehow a bit more humane? Just because it wasn't her job to enforce the rules anymore? If that was true, did that make Naoi, the new president, their new greatest enemy? Again, Yuri didn't know. She pretended to be confident and sure about everything in front of her soldiers, but most of the time Yuri was as lost as they usually were.

Sighing, the girl spun the chair back around and got up off it. It was the beginning of evening, her favorite part of the day. Not hot like the day, but not too cold like night. The silver line. It was during these moments that Yuri liked to walk up to the roof of the school, looking at the stars as they appeared and thinking about everything in general.

Taking the flight of stairs up, Yuri was soon opening the door that led to the roof of the school. Naoi wasn't up here beating up the students during this time, and a light breeze wafter through her shoulder length hair, cooling off the thin sheen of sweat Yuri always developed when in Headquarters. Sometimes because of the heat of several people in there at once, partly because of how hard she always had to think there on a daily basis. She liked coming up here every day a lot more than she would ever admit. It was nice, being able to lean against the railing, Key Coffee in hand as she stargazed and thought about everything. And she could do it alone, too; Yuri had learned a long time ago that if you couldn't have the people you loved forever, it was better to remain a lone wolf.

Popping open her can of Key Coffee, Yuri walked over to the railing and leaned against it, sipping at her drink. Watching as the first stars began to top the heaven's heavens, she thought about her parents, back in the original life. She wondered if they still thought about her; they were probably still alive, albeit both old by now. Yuri had always wanted to know if they still lived in the same house as they had when Yuri was still alive. Could they stay there, knowing that the blood of three of their children had once stained the walls of their home? Perhaps. Yuri didn't know.

The light breeze blew through the roof again; Yuri tugged at the collar of her uniform, pulling it down more to release more heat. It revealed a bit more than was appropriate in public, but right now Yuri was alone and she could be herself, for once.

Then, behind her, Yuri heard the sound of a door creaking open. She felt her hackles immediately rise, and she suddenly wished she had her gun. It wasn't on her, though, because she never took it up to the roof. She didn't want a weapon with her to remind her of all her troubles while she was thinking.

Turning, Yuri looked to see who would be emerging from the opened door. It was Tachibana. Placing the door closed slowly, the Angel raised her amber eyes and saw the leader of the SSS. Tilting her head, as if surprised to see her up here, the white haired girl stood there.

Tachibana didn't move, and neither did Yuri, who was leaning with her back to the railing, Key Coffee in hand. She might not be the Council President anymore, but she was still a potential enemy.

Finally, Yuri asked, "What are you doing up here?" In as polite a voice as possible. No point in provoking her.

Blinking, Tachibana said softly, "I could ask you the same thing."

Turning her head to the side, Yuri said nonchalantly, "Oh, me? I'm just here, you know, enjoying the view. Thinking."

"It's against the school rules to come up here without permission," Tachibana pointed out.

Yuri smirked. "You're up here too."

Kanade didn't say anything for a minute, than suddenly showed a hint of a smile. "I forget. I am not longer President. I suppose this brings me to the same level as everyone else, just as likely to try and break the rules, yes?"

Yuri just shrugged and took a drink of coffee.

Taking steps forward, Tachibana approached the railing and leaned her arms against it, observing the small amounts of NPCs moving about below. The wind blew, making the Angel's hair float in its wake. She had nice hair, Yuri thought. It looked soft and well cared for. _What am I thinking? _Yuri thought, shaking her head.

"So what are you doing here, really?" Yuri asked, leaning against the railing herself.

Tachibana tucked her hair behind her ear. "To think."

"About?"

"About what I'm meant to do now. I have lost my position and power. I am trying to figure out what I'm meant for now."

Yuri felt an involuntary twinge of guilt deep inside her. She felt like she was to blame for Tachibana's loss of position, and of course she was. Angel didn't know it had been their conspiracy, and Yuri didn't plan on telling her. So she squashed her conscience, thinking, _There are consequences to war. That includes morales._

"Nakamura," the Angel said suddenly.

Startled, Yuri turned and asked, "What?"

Pausing, the white haired girl asked, "Do you ever feel like...you spent so much time trying to reach something you needed, or wanted to prove, that you forgot who you were?"

Yuri was prepared to reply with a bland and flat answer the end the conversation early, but she stopped when she processed the question in her mind. Of course she felt like that sometimes. How long had Yuri spent trying to fight a war against a God she didn't know existed, for sure? After all this time, did Yuri still know what she wanted, not as a leader, but as an individual? Of course not. She had sacrificed unnecessary emotions like those a long time ago, to better lead her army.

After a moment, Yuri said, "I think I know what you mean...yes, I think I have felt that way before. Why do you ask?"

Tachibana's eyes drooped half closed, making her look sad and depressed, but especially tired. So tired, of everything she'd done for something she believed in. "I just feel like...maybe, if I had done things differently in the past, things could have been different."

This was by far the most open Tachibana had ever been with anyone else at all. Yuri wondered briefly at the cause. And what did she mean different? Did she mean her relationship with them would have been different? That they could have been friends? Maybe not just others in general, but perhaps just the two of them alone? Yuri tried to imagine that, being friends with Kanade Tachibana. Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard. Under the calm exterior, Yuri had always, for some reason, been sure than Kanade must be just like any other girl. Under her own defenses and professionalism, Yuri knew she was a soft girl at heart. She simply couldn't afford to be that way, was all.

"Maybe," the purple haired girl said finally, "It could have been different between us."

There was another long silence between them. Two leaders, two heads of two very different beliefs. Two causes that had clashed countless times in the past. Right now though, the representatives of these two sides were enjoying a silence together, understanding what the other felt while still knowing they were enemies. Not right now, but later.

"Hey, Tachibana," Yuri said, using the girl's real name unconsciously. Tachibana looked over at her.

Eyes up, watching the number of stars increase above, Yuri asked softly, "Do you ever feel like we've all gotta stop living up here-" She raised her hand above her head, "And start living down here?" Yuri let her hand lower to around chest level.

Tilting her head, Kanade blinked her pretty amber eyes and asked, "What do you mean, Nakamura?"

Yuri could feel a blush creeping up on her for some reason; talking to Angel was unnerving. "It's just that...sometimes, you know, people get too high off of themselves, fighting for something they believe in right...I just wondered if those kinds of people should lower themselves once in a while, to you know, sort of come back down to earth for a while and see and see how things really are, instead of assuming that they know." _Like you do, Kanade,_ Yuri thought inside. _You lost your high, lofty of Student Council President, and what did you do? You didn't try to claw your way back up, or continue fighting us. No, you went to the cafeteria to buy yourself your favorite dish of mapo dofu, just to enjoy something you thought you enjoyed because there was nothing more you could do. The air fans blew away your meal ticket, too._

Kanade closed her eyes and put her head down on the railing on top of her arms; the first gesture of weakness Yuri had every seen in her. "Yes, Nakamura. I know exactly what you mean. It happened to me, right? I understand..what you are saying."

Yuri just nodded, not needing to say anymore, and Kanade felt likewise. The two of them stood leaning against the railing as they watched the stars of heaven's heavens dot the clear sky above them. Right now, they weren't leaders, or fighters, or divine figures that everyone on their respective sides looked up to. No, right now they were just two girls, two kids who were tired of what they were doing at the moment, and just wanted to enjoy the cool evening air together in companionable silence.

**Well, I just figured that as leaders, both of them would need a way to blow off some steam now and then. Review, review!**

**-Shrrg**


	3. Ignorance is an Irritating Bliss

**Okay, so this is a short chapter about the kind of crazy stuff GirlDeMo can do sometimes. Enjoy!**

Chapter 3: Ignorance is an Irritating Bliss

"But Hisako, do I have to?" Irie whined as she walked after the brunette through the halls of the school.

"Yes," Hisako answered flatly, saying, "You don't have a choice, Irie. If you want to be part of this band, you need to wear it. No exceptions. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to practice." With that, the brunette turned a corner and disappeared into a classroom.

Sighing in defeat, Irie stopped jogging after her fellow band mate, breathing a little deeper to recover. _Damn it,_ she despaired, showing a rare moment when she was frustrated enough to swear, albeit mentally. _Now I really don't have a choice._

Behind her, Sekine ran to catch up with her best friend. "Irie! Hey, Irie, what's the problem?" she asked her, putting her hands on her hips and staring at the purple eyed girl.

Frowning unhappily, Irie held out her hand. Sekine look down at the object she held in her open palm; it was Girl Dead Monster's accessory, the ones that all the band members wore. It was a leather band, of sorts, that was meant to wrap around a person's thigh. It was a fashion statement. Sekine didn't see the issue here, and she quirked an eyebrow at Irie, the question evident in her eyes.

Pouting, Irie whined, "I don't want to wear it."

"Why not?" Sekine asked, confused. "It's cute! I'm wearing mine," she added, turning so her friend could see the same accessory wrapped around her leg, placed just above her white thigh-highs. Irie's eye twitched.

"You look so..._wrong_ with that on, Shiori," Irie objected.

Sekine stopped twirling at frowned. "What's wrong with it?"

Irie sighed. "I don't know...it just seems a bit..._unpure_, okay?"

Laughing suddenly, Sekine exclaimed, "What, so that's why you won't wear it? Because you'll feel like too much of a rebel?" When Irie nodded sheepishly at her, she burst out laughing. The purple haired girl put her hands on her hips, glaring at her friend. Wiping her eye, Sekine spluttered, "I'm sorry Irie, but that's hilarious. So what if it looks..._bad?_ What's gonna happen are the teacher's gonna give you a detention? Nothing even goes on your record here, Irie. Besides, we're supposed to act rebellious! It's the only thing keeping us from disappearing right? I mean, why did you even join the band in the first place if you aren't gonna be able to wear its accessory?"

"I love the music," Irie defended herself. "Just...not this."

Giggling, Sekine said, "Just put it on, Irie. It won't grow teeth and eat you."

"No," Irie said, dropping the thing on the floor. Turning on her heel, she marched away. Sighing, Sekine knelt and picked up the discarded accessory. In her mind, a plan began to form. And she grinned maliciously.

The next day, Irie showed up to practice without the accessory on, much to Hisako's chagrin. "You can't be a member of the band if you won't wear it," she yelled.

"But Hisako-san, I lost mine," Irie said as innocently as she could.

Iwasawa rolled her eyes. "It's alright, we have plenty extra in storage. Hisako can go get you one after practice."

Sekine almost laughed when she saw her friend's face go red; apparently, her plan to avoid the accessory had fallen short. Activating the first step of her plan, Sekine called out, "It's alright, Iwasawa-san. I found Irie's on the floor earlier. She can wear it right now!" she said brightly. Irie's face paled.

"Oh, good," Hisako nodded. Sekine tried to hand the leather band to her friend, but Irie shied away. Snorting in frustration, Hisako growled, just put it on, Irie, what's the matter with you?" Irie just shook her head from the corner of the room though, and Hisako's patience broke. Grabbing the accessory from Sekine's hands, she chased Irie around the room, shouting, "Get back here, Irie! You're gonna wear this or I'll be damned!"

It took less than a minute for Hisako to corner Irie, who trembled in fear. Sekine watched from the center of the room, laughing her ass off, while Iwasawa observed the conflict with her usual calm, detached, yet slightly exasperated air.

Hisako advanced on Irie, holding the band's accessory in front of her like surgical equipment. "But this damn thing on," she growled. Irie just shrunk further against the wall. Timing carefully, Hisako lunged, and Irie could not avoid her. She felt the accessory lock around her thigh with a soft _click_ and Hisako leapt back, keeping her distance now. Irie immediately tried to take it off though, and Hisako said, "Come on, Irie, stop being so stupid-"

The brunette's sentence was cut off abruptly, however, when Irie was unable to remove the leather band from her leg. She tugged frantically at it, but to no avail. "I can't get it off! Irie shrieked. "It's glued on!"

When Sekine heard this, her laughter filled the practice room to the highest degree as she fell onto her back, the tears of mirth rolling down her cheeks. Iwasawa looked at the blond bassist, a slightly amused expression on her face as she realized what had transpired. Hisako, on the other hand, grinned widely and clapped her hands together. "Nice idea, Sekine," she said brightly. "Now she _has_ to wear it."

"Noooo," Irie wailed, still tugging desperately at the accessory locked around her thigh. "I don't wanna wear it!"

"Oh, shush," Iwasawa said. "You can't get it off for a while anyways. Just wear it; it won't kill you, you can't die, remember?"

"Yeah, but I would gladly accept death over this," Irie mumbled, but she trudged back to her drum set and participated in practice until it was over. She was going to get Sekine for this, though.

After practice, Sekine was walking out of the classroom when she heard thunderous footsteps behind her. Turning, she saw a very, _very_ angry Irie charging towards her. Leaning back, scared, Sekine turned to run, but her friend over took her and bowled the blonde bassist over, pinning her onto her back.

Sekine struggled under Irie's grip, but was trapped. "Lemme go!" she cried out.

"No," Irie said, cackling like an evil villain. She was rarely so assertive about anything. "You glued me to this," she pointed at her accessory, "So I'll glue yours to YOU!"

Sekine struggled even more when she heard that, but to no avail. She watched in horror as Irie produced a capsule of superglue. _Oh...shit. _That stuff wouldn't take _forever_ to wear off, if ever, and it would be a pain to take the accessory off when it was over. It was going to ruin her skin, too...

She squirmed as Irie unfastened her GirlDeMo accessory and splashed the glue on the inside, then put it back on her. She shivered as she felt the glue make contact with her skin. Smiling triumphantly, Irie leaned back and said, "There, now we're even-"

The girl was cut off as Sekine bucked, taking advantage of Irie's momentarily distraction to tip them both over. Irie lost her grip on the bottle of glue, and it poured all over the purple haired girl's hand. Limbs flailing, she tried to grab onto something to slow her descend. That something happened to be Sekine's arm, and they both fell to the floor with a soft _oomph._

"You did _what?"_ Hisako fumed, in complete and utter rage.

"We...uh, accidentally glued each other together," Sekine explained sheepishly. Irie was too busy cowering in the face of Hisako's anger.

Slapping a palm to her forehead, the brunette demanded, "How the hell does that _happen?_" she growled. "What were you doing, playing around with the glue like little kids?"

The two friends shared a glance; it wasn't really too far from the truth.

Hisako sighed, putting her hands on her hips and trying to calm down. "Well, if you two are like this, we won't be able to have to live concert tonight." The disappointment was evident in her voice.

"We're sorry, Hisako," Irie apologized timidly from behind Sekine's back. From that position, Sekine had her arm pulled at an awkward angle behind her; it was really annoying.

Hisako gave another heavy sigh. "I'm sure you are. Well, for now try to get that damn glue off. The concert's cancelled."

"Maybe that Yui girl could fill in?" Sekine suggested.

Hisako snorted. "Her? She can't play the base and the drums at once. Besides, she's horrible."

Irie gasped. "You mean that Diversion Division flunky?" she groaned. "Oh, she's absolutely _vile. _She wears _two_ of those accessories, and even a bracelet...and a devil's tail! A _tail,_ for Gosh sake!"

Hisako rolled her eyes and turned around to resume practice; it was going to be a long day.

**Thanks for reading! Please Review!**

**-Shrrg**


	4. Reporting for Duty

Chapter 4: Reporting for Duty

"Yuri, the target is entering building A," Yusa spoke softly into her earphone. The slim piece of radio equipment vibrated comfortingly against the lobe of her ear.

"_Yusa, for the millionth time, he isn't a _target,"Yuri's voice hissed through the other end of the connection. "_We're in high school for God's sake, not the army."_

That much was true. Yusa and Yuri were both attendees of the local high school in Osaka, Japan. It was true that they were only around fifteen, but you couldn't blame someone for being professional.

There was a sigh from the other end of the line. "_Okay then, what's he doing?" _Yuri asked.

"The target has isolated himself in room 2-A-B," The blonde replied in a calm, controlled voice. "He is playing his violin."

"_He plays the violin?" _Asked a surprised voice from the other side of the radio connection.

"It would appear so," Yusa said, feeling a bit annoyed; she disliked rhetorical questions. "Will this affect the objective?"

"_No,"_ Yuri replied. "_I can still do this. Thanks for your help; and stop talking like you're in the military. We're in high school."_

"On the contrary, Yuri," Yusa said in a neutral voice, "This isn't like the military at all. Soldiers don't help their friends stage a conversation with their crush."

Yusa could feel the heat on Yuri's cheeks through the line. "_You don't have to call him that."_

"But Yuri, it's true," Yusa said in a bored tone. And it was. Her friend had been starry eyed for the same boy in class 2-B for almost a year now. It was rare for the fierce, leader like Yuri to be so smitten, but Yusa understood that most people needed things like crushes now and then. She didn't include herself among that group of people, though.

"_It doesn't matter if it's true!" _Yuri almost hissed. "_It's going to be difficult enough to pull this off, don't make it harder for me..."_

_ "_Understood, Yuri," Yusa sighed.

"_Okay," _came the voice from the other end. "_Again, thanks for your help, it means a lot to me. But honestly, you don't need an earphone for everything in your life."_

Yusa's friend severed the connection before she could give another bored, yet sarcastic comment. Rolling her eyes briefly, she switched her earpiece on standby mode and turned around.

She was standing on the roof of Building B, the structure that stood adjacent to A. Yusa had studied a map of the school grounds the night before and had decided this roof top was the best vantage point to scout from. Yuri had called her during this time, and when the girl found out she had a map of the school grounds, she groaned and said, "This isn't some sort of black ops mission. I'm just trying to talk to someone!"

"An interrogation," Yusa had said over the line.

"No," Yuri sighed, "A conversation. Please, save it for the army."

_It may be weird, but it pays to have a friend who can convey the state of the field to you, doesn't it Yuri? _Yusa thought with a faint smile. Reaching her hand up, she gently twiddled with the earpiece. It was by far her most precious object; Yusa knew she wouldn't be able to survive without it. She couldn't explain it, but the tiny piece of machinery comforted her; it gave her a sense of control, to be able to see things and convey them to the brain of an operation. It made her feel like a strong link in something significant.

Standing with her hand pressed to her ear, Yusa kept a keen eye on a certain window in room 2-A-B.

Meanwhile, in the an also empty classroom in Building C, Yuri Nakamura breathed in deeply, eyes closed. This was something she had been planning to do for a long time, but had always lost her nerve for it. While lacking confidence was something Yuri was supremely good at not doing, whenever she saw Hinata-san, she...she felt like...she couldn't think straight, and her mouth seemed to become rubber...

_Damn it, _Yuri thought. _Just thinking about him throws me out of whack._

Walking out of the building, Yuri shoved her hands into the pockets of her uniform and began to cross the courtyard which connected the three buildings. _I wonder when he started playing the violin,_ Yuri wondered. While she her reasoning was, admittedly, completely thrown off by Hinata's existence, she had enough sense to become friends with him first. And for all the time she'd known him, Yuri had never heard him playing the violin.

_This is going to be totally embarrassing, _Yuri despaired as she pushed open the main door to Building B and went in. _I thought the guy was supposed to make the first move, too. _It wasn't like she hadn't dropped enough hints...

Yuri began to hear the soft, sweet notes of a well oiled violin being played, the sounds echoing through the empty halls of the classroom. It was lunchtime, and everyone else was enjoying their recess at the far end of the school. She had planned on talking with Hinata during this time, but there had been a slight change in plan when the bluenette had decided to head for Building A instead. It hadn't mattered to Yusa, though; Building B was still the best vantage point.

Closing her eyes, Yuri breathed in slowly as she listened to the violin play, stopping her progress through the halls for a moment. Whether it was really Hinata playing or not, it was beautiful; every note was perfect, the music carrying her along with it.

She could have stayed there forever, but Yuri resumed walking, finally locating the room Hinata should have been in and raising a hand to push the door open.

Yusa couldn't help letting out a small smirk as she watched her friend make her halting progress through the windows. And stopping to listen to the music...it could have been a huge blunder in any battlefield, but Yusa had to remind herself that this was high school, not war. Deciding to radio Yuri the situation, she switched her earpiece on. Yusa was just about to leave a sarcastic comment for her friend when she heard a sudden harsh flapping sound to her right.

Turning in alarm, Yusa's field of vision was filled with the image of a pigeon flapping its wings like mad, letting out a piercing _rawk! rawk! _as it buffeted her face. Throwing her arms up, Yusa let out a soft, "Ah..." as she threw her head to the side. This cause her earpiece to slip out of her ear, though, and the small piece of equipment clattered across the roof of the building. Gasping, she turned and scrambled after it, but the pigeon was faster; diving with claws outstretched, it snatched up Yusa's precious earpiece and flapped away.

Crying out in despair, Yusa fell to her knees. Her earpiece...gone...no...no!

Yusa a long history behind her of not being able to remain in control of herself without her earpiece. It was her comfort zone, her security blanket of sorts, the things that kept her grounded at all times. Without it she was like an anchor left to drift in the ocean.

Meanwhile, in Building B, Yuri had pushed the door open silently. She had failed to receive any portion of Yusa's report of the "battlefield" due to the recent pigeon assault, and was uninformed that Hinata would be facing the door when it was opened.

The second she stepped into the room, the sound of violin music intensified around Yuri, the sweet melody washing over her like a cozy blanket. The player of the music, however, ceased his practice when he saw Yuri walk in through the door.

Hinata's eyes widened a bit when he saw her. Lowering his violin, he said, "Oh-oh, Yuri! It's nice to see you. What are you doing here?"

Stopping just next to the door frame, Yuri rested a hand on the doorknob and said, "You're a terrific violin player."

Hinata looked down at the instrument he held, as if surprised to see it was there. "Oh...yeah, I suppose," he agreed, a blush creeping up his cheeks.

Tilting her head, Yuri asked, "How come you never participate in the Talent Show or join the school orchestra? I'm sure they could really use you."

Letting out a small, nervous laugh, the bluenette said, "Well, let's just say...it's a personal issue."

Proceeding into the room, Yuri pulled up a chair and sat down it in, looking at Hinata expectantly. "Tell me."

The boy frowned. "But what are you doing here in the first place, Yuri?"

This time it was her turn to blush. "Oh...um, no reason at all! I was just bored from being around everyone else at recess so...I, uh, came here to think."

Hinata smiled at her, as if detecting the lie. "And you just happened to go to the same classroom in the same building as me, where I am completely alone, playing the violin."

Yuri's face was red and she knew it. "Yes."

The boy shrugged, but a smile was still evident on his face. "Fair enough."

Crossing her legs to preserve her modesty and pulling the hem of her skirt down a little further, Yuri said, "So, tell me. Why won't you play the violin for other people?"

Cocking his head, Hinata said, "Alright. Come here." Yuri got up from her seat and stood next to him by the window, staring out at the afternoon activities outside.

"When I was a couple of years younger," Hinata began, "My father learned how to play the violin. Within months he was a complete master; he really had a talent for it. And by following reason, he figured I would have the talent too. So he taught me. I was talented.

"At first I only played at home; for my mom and dad, when they were bored so that I could entertain them and keep them happy. But one day, I wanted to stand outside on the street at just perform for a little while, but my dad wouldn't let me."

"Why not?" Yuri asked softly. She was amazed at how solemn and serious Hinata could sound. He was usual the goofy, funny, cool guy that everyone liked, especially Yuri, but right now he had undergone a transformation.

"He told me that the violin was something he taught me so that I may use it for only the people I really cared about," he answered. "I didn't understand at the time, but I not I get that the violin can be a very beautiful instrument; it weeps, it laughs, it screeches and it mourns. With it, I could tell someone the full extent of my feelings without using words. Do you know how amazing that can feel?"

Yuri couldn't help it, she blushed. Hinata was just being so much more..._romantic_ than he usually was, actually he was almost _never_ romantic at all. Right now though, the way her friend was talking, the message he was sending, it was making her swoon. And swooning was something Yuri had never done before.

"No," she answered truthfully. "I wouldn't know, but I'm sure it feels great."

"It does," Hinata affirmed softly, watching the sun outside. Then, "I've actually been practicing here, every day, so that I could be perfect for when I performed for real, for someone i've known for a while. You see, this person is very important to me, and it's vital that I tell how I feel to this person. So, why not with my most precious instrument?" he said, smiling and holding it up.

Yuri, however, cast her eyes down at the floor. So he already had someone he wanted to play his violin for. Someone for whom he had been practicing for days on end, just to achieve perfection in the eyes of this person he cared so much for. And had known for so long, apparently. And, no longer how much she denied it, Yuri had come here to this room today to, in essence, confess her feelings to Hinata. But now she couldn't because it wouldn't be healthy, not for their friendship or his relationship with this person he cared so much for.

Yuri was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't hear what Hinata asked her at first, and he had to repeat himself. "H-huh?" She wobbled, turning to look at him.

Hinata smiled, his deep blue eyes making Yuri's knees wobble. "I said...Yuri...do you want me...to play for you?"

The world suddenly seemed to bend out of shape for some reason after he said that. Nothing was real anymore. _What...play for me? I've got to be hallucinating. He was just talking about...about that girl, the one he cared about, he's been practicing, and-_

By that time, though, common sense caught up with her and promptly smacked her upside the head. _Oh, God, _she reveled. _It's me!_

Pushing her back by the shoulders, Hinata had her take her seat in the chair again. She just sat there, jaw slack, in shock, as Hinata offered her a nervous smile, and began to play.

While that was going on, a certain blonde haired high schooler was currently sitting on the roof of Building B and leaning against the railing with her knees drawn up to her chest. Yusa was hyperventilating. Her cardio was out of whack, her vision was blurring. _I'm going crazy,_ she thought, in fear.

Then the hysteria really started to set in, and Yusa suddenly clutched at her head and laughed maniacally, throwing her head up to the sky. Leaping to her feet, words began tumbling out of her mouth, a complete and utter gibberish that no one could have possibly made sense of.

"You mad? You really mad bro? Huh? Well too bad cause you can't catch me, haha, OH! You missed! You can't get me, mofo! Come at me bro!" Yusa shouted, addressing the imaginary figures that pervaded her ill mind. Throwing her hands up, Yusa shrieked with laughter as she imagined she was being pursued, running circles around the roof for all to see.


	5. Hands of a Child

**I'm not sure if any of you have noticed, but I can see that the quality of my writing is starting to slip. I must apologize for this; I've been brutally sick for the past few days, and I'm just starting to come up out of it. So here a new chapter for you guys.**

Chapter 5: Hands of a Child

The handheld gaming system Naoi held in his hands made small _whirr_ sounds as his fingers flew gently across the buttons, manipulating the small man on the screen. The sounds made by the game could not, however, mask the noises coming from the pottery room which resided adjacent to the small empty room he sat in. Naoi could hear the sounds of the potter's wheel quickly spinning on its stand, and a pair of skilled craftsman's hands shaping the malleable earth that rose up.

His momentary distraction caused a commotion on the game screen; the little man died, and sad music played from the system's speakers. Setting the handheld beside him on the floor, Naoi folded his hands peacefully and stared out through the open sliding door. Through the walls, he could hear his father speaking in a gruff, yet approving, voice his to his brother. "Good, good," he was rumble. "Shape it like that. Yes. Very good." Naoi tried to remember the last time his father had praised _him_ in such a manner, but failed to unearth such an event. He was but a shadow of his brother, after all, forever doomed to follow in his footsteps but never be noticed by others. A shade, a secondary option. That was the meaning of his life.

Behind the walls, the spinning of the wheel ceased. "That's all for today," his father's voice said. "Now go get dressed; or we'll be late for your competition."

That was right; his brother was to participate in a local pottery competition today. Naoi wondered if he was going to be dragged along yet again to watch his brother excel in areas he would never be able to. It was torture, really, sitting there and watching his kin accepting a gold medal from the mayor, or the governor, even once a legal official. Naoi was always the lingering shadow cast by something much larger, somethings that stood in between him and the sun. Something always stood between a shadow and the sun.

He heard the sound of the sliding door opening. Looking around the corner, Naoi saw his father and brother step out of the pottery. His father had his hand on his brother's shoulder. He never held Naoi's shoulder.

The two disappeared around the corner, and Naoi sat back against the wall. He supposed he might as well find his nice clothes, too; it was likely he was to be dragged along.

Rising to his socked feet, Naoi padded out of the room and made his way to his. On the way though, he passed by the door to the pottery. A cursory glance yielded view of a small sign that hung next to it: POTTER'S HEADQUARTERS. It was a sign Naoi himself had put up, long ago, when he and his brother had both been learning pottery at the same time, before it became evident who the shadow and the shadow caster were to be. Before it became obvious that his brother, the esteemed potter, was meant to outdo Naoi in every field which was held dear to his very family. Oh, the irony.

Upon seeing the sign, though, Naoi's feet came to a stop. He turned his head to the side and stared at the door. Then, guided by instinct, he pushed the sliding door open and stepped inside.

The inside of the pottery had a heavy air to it. The smell of wet earth perpetrated the very atmosphere, making Naoi wrinkle his nose; he'd never been a fan of the smell. Walking over to the far end of the room, Naoi sat down at the potter's wheel stationed there. The sides of the stand were still slightly stained by dry clay, evidence of his brother's recent use of the wheel. Placing his foot on the pedal, Naoi began to press, remember his training from before to operate the wheel. The device reacted according, spinning in response as the earth again began to rise. Placing his hands around the steadily rising mound of clay, Naoi tried to shape it into a likeness of the beautiful pots and bowls his brother and father were capable of making.

His fingers slipped, though, mostly from rustiness. The formerly smooth curve of the whirling clay broke, and his bowl collapse into oblivion. Undeterred, Naoi started up the machine again and resumed his work. If his brother could do it, so could he.

After his fifteenth failure, though, Naoi accepted defeat. Roaring in frustration, he slapped the wheel, sending clay flying across the room. He took his foot off the pedal at it stopped spinning. Getting up and pacing the room in infuriation, Naoi thought, _I should be able to do it, too..._

Just then, the sliding door opened. Naoi turned, expecting to see his father, come to beat him again for trying something "counterproductive."

Instead, it was his brother, Roya-kun. Poking his head through the small gap in the door, Naoi's brother asked, "Naoi? What's going on in here? Are you alright?"

Gritting his teeth, Naoi spat, "I'm perfectly fine."

Frowning, Roya entered the room and took Naoi's hand, pulling him out of the room. "Come on," he said soothingly. "Father says you must come along to the competition."

_Of course, _Naoi thought as they left the house. Of course, he didn't know that while they were on the highway, the car would veer out of control and plunge over the edge of a cliff. He didn't know that his father would barely survive, and that he himself would live, because Naoi would land on his brother's body.

_Four Months Later_

There was a loud _crack!_ sound as Naoi's father threw his recently made clay bowl against the wooden floor. It exploded on impact, sending shards everywhere and making Naoi flinch instinctively.

"This is unacceptable!" His father roared from where he stood in the center of the pottery, feet planted wide to look all the more intimidating as Naoi sat on his knees before him. Naoi clenched his fists as he waited for his father to continue his ranting.

"You call yourself a potter," he scoffed. "You can't even make a simple bowl! Something people eat out of! Your brother could do it. Your brother excelled at this. You have his gene's; why can't you do it too? Are you not part of this family? Are you not worth anything? Answer me! Your brother-"

"I don't care what my brother could do!" Naoi suddenly screamed, standing up. "I'm not him! I'm not Roya! If you want him so bad instead of me, take yourself to your own grave and join him in heaven! But if not, I'm all you've got, so stop being so harsh!"

From outside the room, he saw his mother gasp in shock. His father clenched his fist, teeth gritted. Growling, he barked, "Why you little-"

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence though, because Naoi kicked the potter's wheel and fled the room, slamming the door closed and escaping the scene, trying to stop the tears from flowing from his eyes.

Naoi's father didn't chase him, either.

Naoi ran to the far side of their large estate, found an empty room and collapsed into it, crying. Leaning against the small corner of the room, he wept. He wasn't Roya. He would never be Roya. He didn't want to be Roya! He wanted to be himself, Naoi. Just Naoi. He thought about the day that this brother had died; the very day he himself had died as an individual. No one cared about him. They only saw him as a replacement for something precious they had lost, and he was falling short so far. To them he was just a toy, them being his family. They didn't care about his individuality. They just wanted another Roya.

_1 Year Later_

"Naoi, would you please give this soup to your father?" His mother asked, handing him a small tray with food. The boy nodded and padded down the hall towards the room where his father now lay twenty four seven. It had been two months since he'd been bedridden; and life had changed. His father no long yelled at him, or beat him, or humiliated him. But he couldn't teach Naoi the craft either. The business was dying, and they had no other sources of income. His mother went frantic every day trying to figure out how to keep the flow of money going. Naoi knew it was hopeless. In a way, though, he didn't mind; if they had to move out soon, it would be good to get away from these haunted surroundings. Surroundings full of painful memories, of isolation and failure.

His father smiled kindly at Naoi as he fed him the soup by spoon. It was nice, sort of, to have his father smile like that him. But it felt a little empty, because it wasn't approval, it was gratefulness. Naoi didn't want his father to be thankful to him. He wanted him to hold him in high esteem. That couldn't happen now, though.

Naoi finished feeding his father, who went to sleep afterwards. So he leaned against the wall at the far side of the room, knees drawn to his chest. He watched his father sleep peacefully. Inside, he felt like Roya had died once, but twice. First in the car accident. But born again in Naoi, in his altered destiny, to take the place of another. But dead again, now, because there was no one to teach Naoi pottery like his father could have. So Roya had lost his purpose too, and now both brothers were going to die, with no purpose. No meaning. Doomed.

Standing up, Naoi opened the sliding door and stepped out. The sun, contrary to his emotions, was shining brightly. While he walked, Naoi passed by the pottery. Acting on impulse yet again, he pushed open the door and stepped inside. The place drew him, and he hated it.

The air inside still smelled the same, after a year and so much misuse. Strolling slowly through the room, taking his time, Naoi observed all the pottery arranged on the shelves lining the walls. When he got to the end of the shelves he saw something peculiar.

It was a small cup of sorts, beautifully made. Too young to be made by Roya; too good for his own hands. Certainly his father's. But why? Naoi had been there when his father had made his last piece, a plate for the neighbor. When had he had the time to make this before becoming bedridden?

Picking up the cup, Naoi examined it and saw something scribbled on the bottom. Tilting it, he read the inscription, unmistakably in his father's hand: _To my son Naoi. Remember to never give up, because I hate quitters._

Naoi's eyes started to water, and he set the cup down. He was too old to cry. Walking over to the sliding door, he pushed it open and left the room, this time welcoming the bright sun that shone outside. At least now, he could cast his own shadow.

**Please review.**


	6. Late Night Snack

Chapter 6: Late Night Snack

Yuri Nakamura was abruptly woken one night when she heard something rumbling through the air. It was a cool night in the Afterlife, and Yuri was asleep in her high back chair as usual; she never slept in her dorm lately. Oh, well. It counted as rebelling, at least.

The source of the rumbling, however, turned out to be her stomach. _That's not good,_ Yuri thought as she placed a small hand over her abdomen. You couldn't really die from starvation here, but people still needed to fulfill basic needs like eating. The cafeteria was open all day and all night; she could get a small meal there. Yuri wondered briefly if it was worth walking all the way across school to get some food. Her stomach roared, then, and she decided she had no choice.

Stepping up out of her chair, Yuri left headquarters and made her way to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was mostly dark when Yuri pushed the door open, shivering. It was cold out, and she was in a skirt. The only lighted area of the building was the counter where the food was given; she would need a meal ticket first, though.

Walking over to the machine that distributed them, Yuri dug around in her pockets, searching for some coins. She came up with the right amount and inserted them into the machine before thumbing the button that was labelled SPICY RAMEN. It was a good night for something hot, literally and figuratively speaking.

Much to Yuri's chagrin, though, the screen on the machine flashed, OUT OF STOCK. OUT OF STOCK. Again? The damn thing had been out of meal tickets last week, too. Maybe T.K and Ooyoma were spending too much time eating, as usual. Yuri sighed; she'd lost her coins, too. Turning and leaning against the machine, she weighed her options. She could always jump over the counter and make her own food, actually...there was nothing stopping her and she actually didn't think the lady was working today, for whatever reason. So she walked over to the counter and jumped over.

Remembering the things she would need, Yuri gathered a pot and set it on the stove; then she dug through the storage cabinet until she found a bag or two of spicy ramen. Yum. Licking her lips in anticipation, Yuri set the packages by the pot and was about to proceed when she remembered she didn't know how to make ramen.

Freezing, Yuri's hand hovered over the knob that turned on the fire for the stove. Didn't know how to make ramen. Huh. This was an interesting development. Yuri had always been able to simply order a bowl of the stuff with a meal ticket, but now that she couldn't, it may mean she would have to starve. Growling in frustration, Yuri actually stomped her foot. She was hungry and she was frustrated. Reaching over and tearing open a bag of ramen, she thought, _Screw it...I can figure it out. If i's such a fast food, it shouldn't be to hard, right?_

Shaking the package, she dumped the hard block of noodles into the pot and flipped the stove on. She sat on the counter and watched the stuff cook for a few minutes. She noticed too late that the noodles were starting to blacken. "Damn it," she cried as she waved the smoke away from the pot and extracted the noodles, which were burnt too much to eat. Why hadn't the noodles cooked? She'd put fire on them. Ugh. Yuri remembered being teased by her siblings for being unable to do just this. She wondered why she'd never bothered to learn. And when she complained to her parents that she was being teased, they laughed when they realized the cause.

Suddenly, Yuri heard the sound of the cafeteria door being swung open. Whipping around, she strained her eyes through the darkness to see the face of the figure which was slowly approaching her.

"Who's there?" she called out, half in fear. After all, she was weaponless, unless a hard, burned block of noodles counted.

The figure stepped out into the light.

"Iwasawa?" Yuri said, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

The vocalist raised a hand in brief greeting before saying, "Hey, Yuri. What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Iwasawa smiled. "I woke up a bit hungry, so I came down for a midnight snack."

Yuri quirked an eyebrow. Iwasawa didn't seem the type to come around for late night meals. Not with that body. But of course, she wasn't sure if a person's body composition could change in the Afterlife. They didn't age, after all.

"I see..." Yuri said. "Well the machine's out," she added, jerking her head in the thing's direction.

"Ah," Iwasawa nodded. "So you're back there making your own food? Good idea."

Yuri could feel the heat rising on her face. "Um...yeah."

"What are you making?" Iwasawa asked as she swung over the counter herself. "We can make two and I'll help you."

Yuri gulped as she choked out, "Uh...spicy...spicy ramen."

Iwasawa looked at her, confused. "Ramen? But you must have been here for a while if I didn't see you on the way here. Why is it taking you so long to make ramen?"

"Ah, well, you see...the thing is..." Yuri stuttered, twiddling her thumbs. Admitting weakness was something she always hated the do, and telling Iwasawa that you couldn't make ramen fell into that category.

Iwasawa tilted her head, and Yuri said, "Um...I actually...don't..know how...uh, to make ramen."

For a moment, the vocalist looked incredulous. Then she laughed, a deep, rich sound that suited her well. "You've got to be the first person I've met who can't make ramen," she chuckled. "Hey, I'm not teasing," she added, hands raised in mock surrender when Yuri glared at her. "It's true, though. Who can't make ramen?"

"Well, me, obviously," Yuri sighed.

"Alright, guess the Diversion Division's leader gets to do what she does best besides music," Iwasawa smiled as she walked over to the stove.

Yuri raised her eyebrows. "You can cook?"

"Quite well."

"I never knew."

A sad smile crossed Iwasawa's expression. "Back when I was alive, my parents were often too busy fighting to make meals. I had no choice but to learn."

Yuri patted Iwasawa's shoulder, feeling awkward. The vocalist's past wasn't the worst ever, but it was still hard to hear. She didn't want anyone feeling down. It was bad for morale, especially for a member of the Diversion Division.

The first thing Iwasawa did was fill up the pot about one third full of water. Yuri frowned. "What's that for? How are you gonna cook the noodles with it full of water like that?"

Laughing, Iwasawa said, "Just watch, Yuri, and learn." That said, she set the pot on the stove and flicked the fire on. Sitting back on the counter, the vocalist said, "Just a few minutes for it to boil." Yuri shrugged and sat on the counter with her.

The building was silent then, something that Yuri found awkward, but was peaceful to Iwasawa. Feeling the need to make conversation, Yuri said, "So...write any new songs lately?"

Iwasawa smiled. "Yeah. I'm finishing one up."

"Will we be able to use it for a diversion?" Yuri asked, interested now.

The band vocalist looked over at her leader. "I don't know. Maybe not, it's kind of slow. You know Yuri, it's pretty funny how you're always so tense."

Yuri tensed. "What do you mean?"

Leaning back on her hands, Iwasawa explained, "I know everyone's got to concentrate at the right times, but coiling up too tightly can be unhealthy. It impairs your ability to think later, you know?"

Staring sadly at her reflection in a nearby pot, Yuri whispered, "If a coil is tight enough, there aren't any spaces left for anything to come in and hurt it."

Iwasawa threw a cursory glance at her leader. "That could be true," she said carefully. "But remember that if a guitar string is pulled too hard, it'll do one of two things: it'll either play a powerful, inspirational note, or it will snap and break and become useless. Don't risk the second option, Yuri."

The Battlefront leader offered a quick smile and the vocalist. Honestly, Yuri liked Iwasawa. The crimson haired girl had a lot more sense that most. Mature, professional. And capable of delivering a good amount of proverbs. "I'll remember that."

Just then, steam began to pour out from under the lid of the pot. Hopping quickly off the counter, Iwasawa turned the stove off and lifted the lid off. "What now?" Yuri asked, excited despite herself.

Ripping open another package of ramen, Iwasawa said, "Now, step two." She pulled out the block of noodles and used her hands to break it in half before dropping the two pieces into the boiling water. There was a collective _hiisssss_ when the ramen blocks hit the water, and smoke rose. Iwasawa told her to bring a pair of chopsticks, and Yuri soon came back with some. Iwasawa snapped the wooden sticks in half and used them to shift the now loose noodles in the water. Swirling, she loosened it all up and then poured the sauce on top before mixing that too.

When everything was mixed, Iwasawa put away her chopsticks and replaced the lid before turning the fire back on. "And, the final step," she joked, "We wait."

They waited another few minutes for the ramen to be ready, but this time it wasn't awkward.

Then Iwasawa turned the stove off, and took off the lid. The ramen was ready. She had made enough for two, and poured the food into two separate bowls. After leaving the now empty pot in the sink, the girls took their bowls out to the table closest to the light and sat down. After muttering their respective thanks for the food, they snapped open their chopsticks and dug in.

Yuri thought it was even better than the one the lady at the counter made. Iwasawa had added some radishes and even an egg, and the entire thing was sublime. She slurped up the noodles in a frenzy, even hungrier than ever after all that waiting. The spice burned her tongue and throat but she didn't care. Iwasawa ate her bowl with a bit more control, but she was obviously hungry too.

Finally, both girls were done with their ramen. Iwasawa politely drank the remainder of her meal, but Yuri was hungry enough to go bottoms up and scarf it all down. She set her bowl down with a solid _clunk_! and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. It left a stain, but Yuri didn't mind it. She had plenty other uniforms.

"Ah," Yuri sighed, contented. "That was good." Iwasawa smiled. "Thanks, Iwasawa," Yuri said.

"No problem," the vocalist said graciously. "I ate some too, either way."

Yuri nodded, smiling, and turned to stare out of the skylight, at the moon.

Iwasawa turned her chair and watched with her. "Full moon," the singer commented. Yuri just nodded.

Suddenly, the Battlefront leader let out a big yawn. "God, I'm tired," she said. "I have to plan another operation tomorrow at dawn, too."

Brow furrowing, Iwasawa said, "I think you should sleep in tomorrow, Yuri."

Yuri quirked an eye at her. "Why?"

"No one wants to hear someone sing through a broken microphone," Iwasawa preached. "If you burn yourself out like this, you won't be able to operate properly."

Patting her stomach, Yuri suppressed the urge to belch and said, "Well, I'm full on good food right now. I should be fine."

"You know that's not what I mean."

"The Battlefront's depending on me, Iwasawa."

"We all are," the vocalist agreed, "And to fulfill their expectations, you should know when to rest."

Yuri didn't answer. She just stared, transfixed, through the skylight. "It's a beautiful night."

"Yeah," Iwasawa answered, tired herself.

"Iwasawa."

"Yeah?"

"Do you think God chooses everything that will happen to us, or does he give us a choice now and then?"

Iwasawa smiled. "I don't know. Maybe he give us choices, but we'll always choose the path he plans on regardless. This is a divine power we're talking about. We don't know anything about it."

"If that's true, I've made all the wrong choices," Yuri sighed.

Iwasawa shook her head. "Not true. Whether or not your experiences were unpleasant, don't forget that you're a good person at heart. You care for others. That's why you were chosen as leader. Life is a song, Yuri. A song tells a story. Don't make your song something people won't want to listen to."

Yuri threw a cursory glance at the intelligent sounding singer. "What's your song, Iwasawa?"

The crimson haired girl smiled faintly. "My Song?" she repeated, looking up at the moon. "My Song...is to say thank you. For my life. I know it wasn't great, but it's way better than never having had lived at all. So for that, I'm thankful, and it'll allow me to trust God for now."

Yuri frowned and looked at Iwasawa. Was the vocalist trying to tell her something? She didn't know. Shrugging, she laid back and watched the bright moon float across the sky, as Iwasawa sat beside her and thought about just how true her words were.


	7. White Lightning, Orange Fire

**Hi everybody! I'm back! I must apologize most fervently for my extended delay; I have been horribly, brutally, agonizingly sick for a little while (an at such an odd time of year too). But now, I'm at full strength so I was motivated enough to post another chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 7: White Lightning, Orange Fire

Yuzuru Otonashi's ears twitched in anticipation when they sensed the familiar clatter of a coffee can falling into the cradle of the vending machine. Bringing his finger off the button, he squatted and retrieved his prize; a fresh can of Key Coffee. Otonashi absolutely adored the heavily caffeinated drink. He'd first experienced its taste when Yuri had offered him a half finished can while she was explaining the rules of the world to him, thrusting the bottle in his direction with a sudden, "Hey, you want some?"

_That was easily the most confusing period of my life, _Otonashi mused, taking a sip from his drink. Of course, his life had already ended. This was a sort of surreal half life, really, so much shorter in relativity to his previous. But a life was a life, right? Iwasawa's last song had told as much.

Sliding a casual hand into his uniform pocket, Otonashi toured the halls of the school of the Afterlife, thinking mildly. _Every world has its rules,_ Otonashi thought. _But who makes them? _Shaking his head, he took a long swig of coffee, shivering as the excessive dosage of caffein buzzed through him. It was no time to be thinking about such things. The sun was out, it was warm, and Yuri wasn't busy thinking up a bunch of crazy plans, for once. Otonashi was glad; whenever he attended those mission briefings, he always made a nincompoop of himself by letting his imagination get out of hand.

Finishing his can and crushing the cylinder of aluminum in his hand, Otonashi peered down from the third floor and watched the NPCs go about their business below with their same identical fervor. _They don't seem to are who makes the rules,_ he thought, tossing the can into the trash. He turned and made his way back from where he'd come; he wanted another Key Coffee.

_I hope you can't get obliterated for buying too much from the vending machines._

Five minutes later, Otonashi had just popped open his second can of Coffee when he saw her.

Every Friday, Yui and her groupies, a pair of low brow NPCs, fanned out across the campus and covered the surfaces of every available billboard in the school with posters advertising the next GirlDeMo concert. Anyway, one of these particular billboards happened to be situated next to the vending machine, indiscriminately plastered with GirlDeMo posters. And guess who would be standing there, peeling each one off with methodical precision?

Otonashi tried to lean casually against the wall and watch Kanade from the corner of his eye. Ever since the incident where the Battlefront had rallied in a conspiracy to take her down from the position of Council President, he had thought of the girl as Kanade. In a moment of guilt, Otonashi had been in the perfect position to learn the Angel's real name; and he had, but this resulted in a switching of titles.

Well, it couldn't be helped. He was due to meet Hinata for some baseball soon, and the path he needed to take ran right by Kanade. So, walking slowly, Otonashi made to trot past her.

"Good afternoon, Otonashi," said Kanade's soft voice as he passed.

Freezing in his path, Otonashi thought, _Oh, crap, what could she want now? Is it cause of the poster's? Will she reprimand me for them because I'm in the Battlefront like GirlDeMo?_

Trying to maintain his calm, Otonashi turned and said, "Oh, uh, good afternoon, Tachibana."

Without taking her eyes off the board which she was liberating of the posters, Kanade asked, "I presume you understand what I am doing right now?"

Frowning at the question, Otonashi said, "Um, yes."

"And you do not plan to take any preventive action against me?"

Tilting his head, Otonashi shook his can of Coffee said, "Well I wasn't planning on it."

Kanade took the last poster off the bulletin board and turned to him for the first time. "Why?"

Divine being or not, she was pretty. There was no denying that. Even though Otonashi knew it was a perverse train of though - Yuri's face and the words _consorting with the enemy_ came to mind - it could not be ignored. Kanade's face was open and pure looking, at least at the exterior. There was no saying how much blood she'd shed with her abilities.

Deciding to try for some banter, he replied, "Well, I don't have a gun on me."

Tilting her head, Kanade asked, "You would shoot me to get me away from this bulletin board?"

Was it just him, or had Otonashi seen the tiniest hint of a smile, a sparkle in her eyes? Was there a vestige of humanity residing in this frail body?

"Ah...it was a joke," he stammered at last.

Kanade looked down and away from him. "Of course." Then, a random request: "Come with me."

"Eh?" Otonashi muttered, confused. What could she want with him.?

Striding cooly past the boy, she repeated, "Come with me."

Otonashi had no choice but to follow.

As it turned out, the location Kanade had in mind wasn't the Student Council's office or even an isolated place where she could kill him quietly. Well, the school's roof _was_ isolated, but that's beside the point.

"What are we doing up here?" Otonashi inquired, striding after Kanade onto the roof.

She didn't answer him. Instead, the Angel walked to the edge of the roof, placing two hands on the railings and observing the students below. Otonashi stood awkwardly at the center, waiting for Kanade to speak.

Finally, she said, "Otonashi, how do you think it would feel like to be me?"

Totally taken aback by this, Otonashi blinked and said, "What do you mean?"

"I thought it was pretty obvious what I meant."

Of course he'd _known_ what her question was; it was just the nature of said question that had him off. Otonashi had expected someone more along the lines of, "Why the hell are you buying so much canned coffee?"

Shaking his head, he said, "Well, I wouldn't know. I've never thought about it."

Out of nowhere, Kanade sighed. "Exactly. No one knows what it's like to be me. Because no one's ever thought about it. It could be a pleasant one, my life, but of course it could be fraud with inconveniences."

Otonashi was wondering if he fell into the "inconvenience" category when Kanade turned and faced him.

"It's almost like I'm the bad guy," she continued. Her words were spoken in the usual calm monotone, but it was interlaced with a deeper frustration and...sadness?

"How about you, Otonashi-kun? Do you think I'm the bad guy?"

Once again, Yuri's face and the words _consorting with the enemy _popped into his head. But was he, really? To be truthful, Otonashi didn't think Kanade would be much of a threat if the Battlefront didn't have such a bad habit of taking everything they did and making it overkill. But of course, Kanade use god like powers to incapacitate anyone who dared stray out of line, so there wasn't much of an argument to be made there. But in the end, Otonashi had always kept a soft spot for the supposed Angel, despite his leader's chagrin. To him she had always been a girl first and an adversary second. It may make him a less dedicated member of the Battlefront, but honestly, Otonashi couldn't bring himself to care.

"No," Otonashi said slowly, "I think we're all bad guys."

He decided to elaborate when Kanade quirked an eyebrow. "You know, both of us, I think we have very important thing's we're fighting for, right? Only, we don't spend a lot of time thinking about what it's like on the other side of the conflict, which must be pretty much you just said. Or at least, I know my friend don't do that. I don't know about you."

Turning away from him, Kanade said, "I don't have to. Because I already know."

"If you understand us, why oppose us?" Otonashi objected, suddenly curious enough to risk getting killed.

Otonashi couldn't see her face, but for some reason he could swear that a depressed expression had crossed her face. "It's because I understand you so well that I'm trying to stop you," she sighed.

Narrowing his eyes, Otonashi said evenly, "I have no idea what you mean, but if me and my friends didn't fight, we would be disappearing by the dozens."

"And would that be such a bad thing?"

Starting, Otonashi said, "Well, of course! Who knows what could happen if we passed on?"

A stream of air left Kanade's slender nostrils. "Something amazing, maybe."

Snorting slightly, Otonashi asked, "How would you know?"

She answered that question with one of her own. "Otonashi-kun," she said, "Why do you think I'm here?"

Otonashi could barely stop himself from spewing another stupid answer to that question. Because he really couldn't answer it. The main reason? He didn't know what Kanade really was. Angel? Human? God? Where was no telling, actually.

Stepping away from the railing, Kanade walked until she stood at Otonashi's shoulder, only facing away from him. "Maybe I'm here for some sort of divine purpose," she said softly into his ear. "Just think about the colors of our hair as an example. Maybe, through some wild chance, I am the white lightning which will strike the world and begin a great fire. The fire of change. Are you him?"

Utterly bewildered by this new, philosophical side to Kanade, Otonashi spluttered, "I don't know."

Frowning, Kanade said, "Very well. I am sorry to have kept you." Walking past him to the door leading back down, she finished, "I just needed someone to talk to."

And then she was gone, like a flash of lightning.

**P.S: I'll be publishing a new story soon. While it is still in development and I don't want to give too much away, I'll give you two words: sexual misconduct. Expect an M rating ;)**

**Please Review!**


	8. In Another Life

Chapter 8: In Another Life

Hinata woke up that night sitting in one of the couches which inhabited the Afterlife Battlefront's Headquarters. He blinked three times in quick succession, momentarily disoriented by the drastic change in his surroundings. The paltry colors of the wall opposite him made his eyes ache from too much use of late. Or maybe he'd been crying? But why? Hinata had no idea. The last thing he remembered doing was standing outside at the baseball field and talking to Yui-

His brain pulsed as the recent, and raw, memories pouted back into the periphery of his consciousness. _She's gone,_ Hinata thought, in agony. _I'm alone._

Of course, Hinata knew that he was never truly alone; he had Otonashi, he had Yuri, he had his friends. But whenever he remembered that Yui was no longer part of the world that he lived in, it made him feel like a huge chunk of the world had been ripped out of its place. For a second, he hated Otonashi for trying to fulfill Yui's dreams, thus sending her away from this world. The feeling only lasted for a moment though, before it evaporated to be replaced by understanding. _He was just doing what he felt was best for her. For everyone. Who am I do object? Otonashi made Yui happy; and so, I should be happy._

Hinata still missed her, though.

Hinata's left eye twitched and he felt a salty sting there. What, was he crying? Was he really this effected by Yui's departure? His heart was screaming _duh,_ but his brain kept telling him to be rational, that the chances of meeting again were six billion to one, so just give up and move on. He couldn't though.

"You came in here when it was empty and cried yourself to sleep, so I decided to wait here until you woke up," said a voice to his right.

Snapping his neck in that direction (and causing pain to blossom there in the process), Hinata saw his leader, Yuri, sitting at the mahogany desk with her arms crossed sternly. Her eyes were soft, though.

Rubbing the back of his neck and wincing, Hinata said, "How long have you been sitting there?"

"Just an hour or two."

"Sorry to keep you."

Yuri rose from her seat and walked around the desk with her fingers trailing over the wood. She sat on the desk itself and said, "It's no problem. I didn't have anything better to do."

Hinata just nodded, accepting the fact as it was and not deigning to expand on such a topic.

A lengthy silence was born from this, one which lasted for around five minutes, with Yuri sitting legs crossed on the desk. Hinata had his elbows up on the back of the couch, head thrown back to stare at the dark ceiling; the lights were off in the room, and the only illumination originated from an open laptop screen on the desk. It set a paltry glow on everything.

Finally, Yuri broke the silence with a question. "Do you miss her, Hinata?"

He was prepared to give a sturdy, confident, and even answer. Which was why he was surprised when his voice cracked when he opened his mouth and answered, "Yes."

Yuri nodded firmly, as if she knew just how he felt. Did she? Sliding off the desk, she sat next to him on the couch and said, "Hinata, you know we all understand how you're feeling-"

"No you don't."

His leader's lips pursed in disapproval at his sudden and rude interruption, but she didn't comment on it and Hinata didn't care either way. Instead, she forged on, saying, "Yes, we do. I do, at least. I've lost people I love."

"It's different though, Yuri," Hinata said, his voice sounding frighteningly dead. "Have you ever loved someone, not as family, but as another individual who completed you, became such an integral part of your existence, that when they're gone it feels like my own arm got torn off?"

Yuri winced at the rather vivid comparison, saying, "Perhaps not, but I know how much pain you could be in right now. So if there's anything you need, if you want to skip the next operation or something..."

Hinata turned his head away from her. "Don't go easy on me cause of this, Yurripe. We'll be stretched even thinner without Yui anyway. It wouldn't do."

"She's a part of Girls Dead Monster, not the assault group," Yuri pointed out without thinking.

Without seeing, Yuri knew her friend's eyes had sharpened. "_Was_, Yuri. Was a part of GirlDeMo. Maybe now they can find someone who can play guitar and sing at the same time. Yui could do both, but she sucked at multitasking."

Before Yuri could say anything, Hinata continued. "I watched her perform the German Suplex with Otonashi from the fourth floor window," he said in that same voice devoid of feeling or emotion. "After she pulled it off, she was so happy. Yui did whatever she wanted to do, and she kept doing it until she was good at it. It made me want to be able to have that smile show up on her face all the time, thanks to me. I wanted to be the greatest source of her happiness. Was I expecting too much of myself?"

Yuri didn't say anything. She didn't trust herself to.

"Who knows?" Hinata said finally. He actually sounded hopeful now. "Maybe we'll meet in the next life. Despite the six billion to one odds, and assuming we'll both be reborn as humans. With the same personalities."

Yuri couldn't bear to hear her closest friend talk like this. "Hinata, don't say things like that..."

Suddenly, the blue haired boy stood up. The abrupt movement caused the tear that had been perching on his left eyelash to fall. Yuri caught sight of the drop hitting the floor and looked at her friend in alarm.

"I'm going out for some air," Hinata said gruffly, leaving the room and slamming the door. Yuri sighed, looked out of the window, and tried to fight back her own tears.

Hinata left the school building immediately. He pushed through the first door he saw, and when he did it turned out that he was standing on the track field. This was where the NPCs ran around and stretched and got instructions from their drill coaches all day, every day. Walking over to the center of the field, Hinata looked up and the sky. The night air was dotted with countless stars. He wondered which one was Yui.

_I'll find you,_ He promised silently. _I'll die before I give up._

Just then, Hinata thought he heard the faint sound of a door opening and closing. It was very soft, though. The door behind him wasn't being opened. Turning and looking up, Hinata saw the figure of Hisako walking out to the edge of a balcony. The balcony overlooked the track field, and Hinata retreated into the shadows, not wanting to be seen for some reason. He could still see Hisako though, who had brought a chair along with her and was now sitting in it. Stargazing? She didn't really seem the type. Then she seemed to reach into her pocket and take out a phone sized object.

Hinata was about to turn around and go back inside (it was cold) when Hisako hit PLAY on the tape recorder she was holding.

A string of piano bars began to stream out, and Hisako froze. The piano notes were beautiful and pure, carrying him along in a melody both sad and hopeful. It matched his mood. Then an all too familiar voice began to sing.

**[My Most Precious Treasure]**

**by Girls Dead Monster**

When we faced each other, we did nothing but fighting

Yet those were good memories, too

You taught me that, so I'm not scared anymore

No matter how fettered I am, I can seize happiness, so-

Even if I'm alone, I'll go on, even if it's tough

I'll definitely take along the dream I had with you

I'm glad to have been with you, not anyone else

But on the morning when I wake up, you're not there

顔を合わしたら喧嘩してばかり

それもいい思い出だった

きみが教えてくれたんだ もう怖くない

どんな不自由でも幸せは掴める だから

ひとりでもゆくよ 例え辛くても きみと見た夢は 必ず持ってく

よ きみとがよかった ほかの誰もでもない でも目覚めた朝 きみは居ないんだね

The singer was obviously Iwasawa, but Hinata didn't remember hearing this song at any of her concerts. It didn't seem likely that he had, either. This song was too slow to work as a diversion.

I felt like we'd be able to play forever

I know I only felt so I no longer regret that I was born

It's like after a festival; it's lonely, but let's get going shortly

I'll go everywhere, that's what I learned here

I'll show you I'll fulfill the dream known as happiness

Even if I'm separated from you, no matter how far apart we are

I'll live in a brand-new morning

ずっと遊んでれる そんな気がしてた 気がしていただけ

わかってる 生まれてきたこともう後悔はしな

祭りの後みたい 寂しいけどそろそろ行こう

どこまでもゆくよ ここで知ったこと 幸せという夢を叶え

てみせるよ きみと離れても どんなに遠くなっても 新しい朝に あたしは生きるよ

_This is what I promised Yui,_ Hinata thought, clenching his fist. The song reflected exactly his feelings.

Even if I'm alone, I'll go on, even if I want to die

I can hear your voice, saying, "You mustn't die"

Even if it's tough, even if I cry in loneliness

Deep in my heart, I feel warmth

Cycling and flowing, the times change I can't recall what happened anymore

But if I try closing my eyes, there's someone's laughter

Somehow that's my most precious treasure now

ひとりでもゆくよ 死にたくなっても 声が聞こえ

るよ 死んではいけないと 例え辛く

ても 寂しさに泣いても

心の奥には 温もりを感じるよ

巡って流れて 時は移ろいだ も

う何があったか 思い出せないけど 目を閉じてみれ

ば 誰かの笑い声 なぜかそれが今一番の宝物

Hinata felt the tears beginning to fall and he punched the wall, making his knuckles bleed. The song was beginning to die out, going with a slowing piano melody, but Hinata's thoughts were certainly not fading. _I made a promise to you, Yuri,_ he thought. _I won't fail. I promise._

That established, he pushed the door open and made his way back inside. Tomorrow morning, he would ask Hisako for that tape recorder.


	9. Is She Coming Back?

**So here's a new chapter! I actually wrote this the day before but I forgot the password to my laptop -_-**

Chapter 9: Is She Coming Back?

For a person of unwavering disposition, it is a rare event for the one in question to feel deeply emotionally jarred. For most normal people, emotion blows could lead to crying, depression, lethargy, the likes. Hisako was not the type to experience any of these symptoms, namely due to the fact that she was indifferent to most of the elements in her life. And if anything really was important to her, she helped out when she could and cut it off when she had to. It was her way of life.

Hisako knew this as she stood at the center of the Battlefront's Headquarters. Yuri had just held a meeting and had added that _all_ the members were to attend, which included GirlDeMo. Sekine and Irie had gone, but she hadn't. The blonde bassist had tried to convince her to participate, but a sharp glare and a cutting remark were enough to deter her. So they left her alone.

Once everyone was out of the room though, Hisako had snuck in by picking the lock. Even Yuri had left with the others to grab some lunch, a rare event in itself. They had left Iwasawa's guitar on the table. A ray of sunlight was slicing through a gap in the curtains, illuminating the wood of the guitar and making it almost shine. And it should shine, Hisako thought. In memory of the person who played its strings.

Bending down, she gently lifted the instrument from the table. Rarely was she so careful with anything, even her own guitar, but the sole fact that her best and maybe only friend had owned this guitar was enough to place it in her very high esteem. She pulled the strap over her shoulder and let it hang there, supported only slightly by the strength of her arms. Hisako walked over to the end of the table closest to the desk and sat down, legs crossed. Of the few meetings Hisako had ever attended during her time in the Afterlife, Iwasawa had always sat in this spot. She knew it was mainly because everyone needed to see her when she was introducing a new song. You'd have to be crazy to _not_ want to see Iwasawa play.

_She played her final song here,_ Hisako thought in a rare moment of mourning. _Yuri didn't like it, I heard. It was rejected. It didn't matter, though; it still created a diversion. One that I won't soon forget. Or anyone else, for that matter._

Almost of their own accord, Hisako's hands began to strum the strings of the guitar. She knew it didn't belong to her, but an innate curiosity got the better of her. By some freak of nature, would playing Iwasawa's guitar be different from playing her own? Would she be able to understand her best friend better through it? After all, this wooden instrument was something the vocalist had poured her heart into; God knew how many musical accomplishments this guitar had witnessed.

_There I go again,_ Hisako thought as she gently hummed the rhythm to "My Song". _Placing Iwasawa above everything else, even God. Sometimes it's hard to tell if she's my friend or my idol. I guess talent can do that to a person._

Suddenly, something fell from her eye and plopped onto the wooden floor. A tear? Lifting her finger, Hisako rubbed at her eyelid and found it wet. No, this didn't make sense. She was not a crier. The last time she'd cried was when her beloved fellow band member from her previous life had jumped off that bridge...

Before a second tear could fall, Hisako blinked rapidly and concentrated on strumming the guitar. Even after a few days of neglect, it still played well. Iwasawa cared for her instruments well.

Behind her, Hisako heard the sound of wood creaking. The door. Whipping around, Hisako stood and saw a small form trying to enter the room quietly. The person squeaked when she was discovered and shrank against the wall.

"Yui," Hisako said irritably, "What are you doing here?"

The Diversion Division flunky didn't answer at first. "I-I was eating when Yuri told me to get Iwasawa senpai's guitar and put it back on its stand where it belonged..."

Hisako gritted her teeth and clenched the guitar in question. This girl didn't deserve to do that.

"I was given the key to the room but it was already unlocked," Yui finished. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Hisako-senpai. If you want, I could tell Yuri that you're using the guitar right now."

Hisako's grip on the guitar softened a fraction, and she relaxed her stance. At least she was being polite. And her intentions _were_ good.

"No, it's alright," Hisako said finally. "I'll put it back myself."

Yui nodded and turned to leave, but looked back and said, "If I could ask, senpai...what were you doing?"

Usually Hisako would have snapped back that it was none of her business, but for some reason she didn't. Letting out a rare sigh (lots of rare things were happening today) she looked out the window and said, "Um, you know, just...remembering."

A certain degree of sadness overshadowed Yui's young face as she said, "You're talking about Iwasawa, aren't you?"

Hisako's fingers gently caressed the neck of the guitar. "Yeah."

Turning away from the door and towards Hisako, Yui continued, "Do you know why she's gone?" It was a question loaded not with implication or idiocy, but pure curiosity. A rare event for one such as Yui.

Hisako let her gaze fall to the floor. The lights were off in the room and the bright sun outside created a stark contrast, making it both stunning and painful to look outside. "She just accepted things that she couldn't before, I guess."

Yui frowned, walking next to her and staring down at the guitar. "Do you think she's going to come back?" It was a question from a fan's perspective.

Hisako set the guitar back on the table and said, "Well, it depends."

Yui quirked an eyebrow and asked, "On what?"

She didn't answer at first, and when she did it was with a question. "Yui," Hisako said, "If you could come to terms with anything that is bothering you right now, do you think life wouldn't have been so bad after all? I mean, there's good things in everyone's existence right?"

The Diversion Division flunky took a step back, confused by Hisako's sudden philosophical attitude. "Well, personally...even if I was okay with everything I regretted in my life, there would be other people to think about."

Hisako placed her open palms on the desk and stared out the window. "Yeah, I guess that's true. Maybe Iwasawa was thinking about us when she sang her last song. Maybe she was trying to tell us that life isn't so bad after all," she mumbled. Then, "But to answer your question, whether or not Iwasawa can come back depends on one thing."

"What?"

Turning around and staring hard at Yui, Hisako said, "It depends on where we are when she's ready, of course."

**I know my chapters have been very mournful as of late, and if it's getting to you, I promise there will be some happy chapters coming up.**

**Please review!**


	10. Beach Day

**Alright, so here's a new chapter! A rather long one too. It took absolutely forever to right this. Not because of the length, but because I got locked out of my computer for the second time -_- anyway, enjoy!**

Chapter 10: Beach Day

The world known as the Afterlife to most of its inhabitants had, for the most part, a consistent stretch of perfect weather. The sun rose at six thirty in the morning every day, and it stayed shining and bright in the sky until seven at night before the temperature dropped to the mid sixties. Perfect, Californian weather. Since the day Yuri had woken up on the shore of the river near the school, this had been the weather pattern. Never once had it been deviated from.

Until now.

Yuri Nakamura let out a great _whoosh_ of air as she flopped into the high backed chair which sat behind her desk, tugging at the collar of her uniform. Even inside, it was sweltering, and Yuri's nostrils flinched as she inhaled the humid air. Didn't this blasted building have air conditioning?

She panted for a moment before undoing the first button of her shirt. Yuri wasn't overly worried about anyone barging in; there had been an Operation Tornado scheduled today, but she had cancelled it due to this god damned heat. A petty reason perhaps, but she could care less.

Leaning her head back in the chair, Yuri closed her eyes and crossed her legs over the table, trying to relax for once. The world was stressful enough when you had things like Angel and the ever present threat of disappearing weighing over your head. And now this excessive _temperature._

Yuri sat like that for a while, arms crossed, until the heat got to her and she slipped into a light doze.

Meanwhile, outside of the building, Hinata and Otonashi were playing around.

Or at least, Hinata was. Otonashi was too busy trying to peel off his sweat soaked jacket, but Hinata was occupied with snapping picture after picture with his newly acquired camera. He'd found it in the storage room when Yuri had told him to look for Shiina there. After getting permission to keep it from the ninja, he'd never stopped using it.

"For the tenth time, Hinata, can we just go inside?" Otonashi groaned, fanning himself. "It's scorching out here. Any longer and even that camera of yours is gonna melt its own innards."

"Oh, come on," Hinata said as he zoomed in on the track field and took another shot. "Don't be like that. It's not like the heat will kill you, right?"

Otonashi answered with a roll of his eyes and a muttered "Who knows?" Before throwing his jacket over his shoulder and walking towards the door. Noticing this, Hinata stopped taking pictures and caught up with his friend, saying, "Alright, alright grumpy head, we can go inside." Otonashi rolled his eyes again, and they entered the building.

Hinata wanted to go to the Headquarters. It was supposed to be the most air conditioned room and they wouldn't be bothered there, allowing Hinata to check out all the picture's he'd taken. His camera was the instant developing type, when the picture slid out of the casting immediately after it was taken. He was already shuffling through some of them when Otonashi pushed the door to Headquarters open and stopped short.

When Hinata looked up, he understood why. Yuri was fast asleep in her chair, legs crossed over the table. While this was hardly an act of industrial espionage, there were other factors. For example, a steady stream of drool was petering out of her mouth, she was snoring slightly, and the first two or three buttons of her shirt were undone, exposing some rather delicate areas of her body. Not to mention that from their position, Yuri's skirt wasn't doing a great job of covering her up.

The two boys stood dumbstruck at the door for a second. Then, seemingly from instinct, Hinata raised his camera and took a picture. There was a snap sound and a brief _whir_ from the camera, and a picture popped out. Horrified, Otonashi said, "What are you doing? That's totally perverted!"

Grinning, Hinata waived the picture in the air and said, "Blackmail."

Groaning, Otonashi retorted, "What's to stop me from telling Yuri about this?"

Grinning even wider, Hinata said, "Really, would you?"

Otonashi thought about it for a moment, then admitted, "No."

"Exactly."

Hinata tucked his camera and the picture away then, as to not arouse suspicion, and Otonashi walked up to his leader and tapped her on the shoulder, saying, "Yuri! Yuri, wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open, and when she realized she wasn't alone, the first things she did was to fling her fist at Otonashi. It caught him in the gut like a rock, and the boy doubled over, coughing.

"Damn," Hinata noted. Yuri realized who she'd hit and turned, saying, "Oh my God, Otonashi! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it, I thought I was being attacked..."

Otonashi just waved it all of, croaking, "Ish okay."

Just then, Yuri looked down at herself, and let out a short yelp. Leaping out of her chair, she turned away from the two of them and buttoned up her shirt and wiped her chin. When she turned back to them, a red tinge had appeared on her face. "What are you guys doing here?" she demanded.

Hinata shrugged and said, "We're hear for the air condition."

Fanning herself, Yuri retorted, "Yeah, well, this air conditioning you speak of doesn't seem to be working."

"No kidding," Otonashi groaned from the floor. "It's burning outside. It's not that much better in here either."

"I need a cold shower," Hinata muttered.

The three of them stood their for a minute, silently grumbling at the weather and not talking to each other. Just then, there was a knock on the door and Yusa poked her head into the room. "Yuri," she said.

"Yes?" Her leader asked, surprised to see her.

"Ooyama-san has passed out from heat exhaustion," the blonde girl replied.

Hinata raised an eyebrow. "Heat exhaustion? What was he doing?"

"T.K was teaching him how to dance."

Yuri shook her head, a hand on her forehead. "This is getting out of hand. This heat is doing everyone in."

Suddenly there was another knock on the door. Yusa turned around and retreated into the room, and Hisako and Sekine walked in. "It's burning hot out there," Hisako declared unnecessarily. "We had to cancel practice cause of the heat."

Otonashi let out an amused laugh, and Yuri sighed. "We're all feeling it, Hisako," she said.

"May I make a suggestion?" Yusa said in an indifferent voice.

"She's scary," Hinata muttered. Yuri shot him a look and said, "Yes, Yusa?"

"If everyone is suffering because of the heat, we could all go down to the river and cool off there," Yusa said. "It is Saturday today, so we are allowed to; Angel will not try to apprehend us."

Sekine tucked a sweaty strand of hair behind her ear. "A dunk in the river sounds good to me," she panted.

Yuri thought about it. It was true that Angel wouldn't stop them, at least. There were weekdays and weekends in the Afterlife, and all the factors well into place. "Alright," Yuri decided. "Let's go. Yusa, could you please relay this to the rest of the members? If they want to go with us to cool off in the river, tell everyone to meet up at the edge of the campus in half an hour."

Yusa nodded and left the room quietly. "She's scary," Otonashi agreed. Yuri shot him a look too.

"Wait a second," Hisako said suddenly. "Are we gonna swim in the river in out uniforms?"

Yuri frowned. "I guess not. Everyone has a pair of swimsuits, right?"

Hisako nodded, then said, "Yeah, but won't that be a little..."

Yuri caught her meaning and replied, "I'm not exactly looking forward to wearing a bikini in front of everyone either, but it's a hundred twenty degrees outside and we'll all die otherwise." Hisako nodded and left the room with Sekine to look for swimsuits.

The Battlefront leader looked at Otonashi and Hinata and said, "You two, tell the others guys to make sure they hold their perverted sides in check." And with that, she left as well before Hinata could say something equally rude.

Thirty minutes later, everyone who wanted to tag along was gathered at the edge of the campus in their swimming gear. Otonashi, Hinata, Yuri, and GirlDeMo were all there, as well as Fujimaki, Ooyama (who had recovered from his stroke) T.K, Matsushita Takamatsu, Noda, and even Shiina. Apparently the heat had even affected the female ninja, who was usually so supremely composed. All the girls were in bikinis except Yusa, who had chosen not to swim but was tagging along to perform recon. All the guys were in trunks except for T.K, was was wearing a tank top along with a pair of shorts. The girls and guys were all huddled in groups according to their respective genders, to embarrassed to be caught standing next to each other. Yuri detached herself from the crowd and said,

"Alright everybody, we're gonna go down to the river now. Move out!"

It was pretty funny to hear such a military order form someone in a blue bikini, but everyone obeyed nonetheless. In ten minutes, everyone was standing on the shore of the river and preparing to jump in. T.K and Matsushita were the first to get wet, running towards the water and shouting "I KISS YOU!" before cannon balling into the water. Fujimaki and Ooyama exchanged a glance. Grinning, they too charged into the river, yelling and shouting. Takamatsu gave an impressive flex of his muscles before making a professional dive into the river. He neglected to find out that the water was only two feet deep, though, and Yuri shook her head as the boy smashed his head into the riverbed.

Yusa raised and eyebrow before turning and walking down the shore, towards a cliff that rose up and over the river where she could scope out the field with ease. When she was gone, Hinata said, "She's scary," and earned another glare before running into the water with Otonashi.

By now, all the guys were in the water but none of the girls were. They all stood in an awkward huddle near the water, unsure of what to do. Until Hinata splashed too hard and soaked Yui from head to toe. Shrieking as the cold water hit her, the band member shouted, "What the hell, Hinata!"

"Whatever!" Hinata called back. This was more than enough to send Yui over the edge, and she charged into the river, flinging her arms around and splashing Hinata until he went under. Sekine and Irie shared a glance, shrugged, and trotted after her. Now only Yuri and Hisako were left on the shore. And they probably wouldn't stayed there, too, if Sekine hadn't splashed and send a tidal wave right at them. Both girls were soaked, and Hisako roared, "Okay, who did that?"

Before an answer could be given, Yui joined with Sekine and Irie to send wave after wave of river water at them, forcing Yuri and Hisako to raise their hands in defense. In no time they were both soaked to the bone.

"That's it..." Hisako growled, stream training into the river and trying to tackle Yui.

Yuri rolled her eyes and walked in after her. They'd all come here for the river, hadn't they?"

The next hour or so was filled with watery fun. Hinata chased Otonashi around the river, Yui chased him, and Hisako chased her. Sekine chased everyone just for the heck of it. Every now and then, Matsushita would climb to the top of the cliff where Yusa was stationed and jump off, blasting into the deepest part of the river and creating a massive explosion every time, swamping everyone. Shiina was trying to meditate while holding her breath underwater.

At one point Yui actually caught up with Hinata as they both treaded water. "Got you!" she crowed triumphantly, grabbing onto his exposed back and forcing the boy underwater with her weight. Caught by surprise, Hinata floundered for a moment before recovering and bursting out of the water, coughing. Yui immediately splashed his face, flooding his nostrils. Hinata hacked and coughed while he send a wave of his own at her. After several minutes of splashing, both of them were reduced to trying to hack the river water out of their lungs. "How shallow minded," Shiina droned from her lotus position under the water.

Noda, meanwhile, was sitting on a rock that protruded from the water, dipping his halberd into the river and watching the water ripple off the blade. He didn't intend to participate in everyone's little games, and he probably would never have gotten in the water if Yuri hadn't called out to him.

"Noda, what are you doing?" she asked. "Didn't you come here to get wet?"

Fighting back a blush, he retorted, "Maybe, but I didn't come to play."

Sekine waded over and whispered something into her leader's ear. Yuri eye's brightened in excitement, while Noda's darkened in suspicion. What were they up to?

Before he could think about it, Sekine and Irie started to splash him mercilessly. Caught off guard, Noda flinched and turned his head away, giving Yuri plenty of time to dart in and swipe his halberd from his hands.

When he realized what had happened, he shouted, "HEY!" and dove into the water, swimming quickly to retrieve his most precious possession. Yuri, a strong swimmer herself, paddled away from him while Sekine did her best to apprehend him progress. After ten straight minutes of cat and mouse, Noda lunged and caught the handle of his halberd. Crying, "Aha!" he yanked on it, bringing the weapon closed to his chest. This action had further consequences, though, because Yuri didn't lose her grip on the halberd either. This caused her to come flying straight at him, and the Battlefront's leader smacked into Noda's chest and sent them both under the water.

A few moments later, Noda resurfaced holding a spluttering Yuri. "Are you okay? Did you swallow any water?" he demanded. Yuri hacked for a few more seconds before muttering, "Why do you care?"

"Of course I care," he retorted.

Otonashi watched all this play out in the river with amusement. He found it particularly funny that Noda was so incapable of expressing his feelings for Yuri in a sensible manner. And then he saw it.

There was a small figure standing in the water further down the river, looking at them. It was hard to make out anything specific from this distance, but the girl's mane of white hair made her unmistakable.

_Angel? What is she doing here? _He thought, panicking for a second. Then, _Well, it is the weekend. I guess she's as entitled to come here as we are._

As a safety measure though, he swam over the Yuri and told her about it. She was busy arguing with Noda about who's fault it was she'd almost drowned. "I can't believe our mouths touched either," she said.

"It's not my fault!" Noda growled. "You're the one who made off with my halberd."

"Hey Yuri, just so you know, Angel's over there," Otonashi intruded, jabbing a finger in Tenshi's direction. His leader looked sharply at the small girl standing farther down the river. She was currently trailing her fingers in the current, completely ignoring them. "Well, we aren't breaking any rules, so she shouldn't bother us," Yuri concluded.

Otonashi stared passively at the white maned girl. "She looks lonely."

"Well, there isn't really anyone like her," Yuri pointed out.

Otonashi shook his head. "No, not that...I mean...do you think we should invite her to hang out with us?"

Yuri patted his shoulder and said, "You're very funny, Otonashi," before swimming away.

Just then, after a full hour underwater, Shiina popped her head up. After taking a deep breath, she said, "Yuri."

"Yes?"

Shiina's words were calm, but their meaning was not. "Get out of the water."

Yuri didn't question it, immediately shouting, "OI! GET THE HELL OUTTA THE WATER!" Before sprinting for the shore herself.

Yuri actually got to the edge of the water before it was too late; the slowest person was Ooyama, who was still floating near the center of the river when the River Monster exploded from under the riverbed.

The legendary River Monster was a monstrosity of a fish, basically a cod multiplied by perhaps a thousand. The gargantuan aquatic beast blew out of the water at an incredible clip, throwing about half of the river out in the process. It flew high in the air, and the Afterlife Battlefront was blown away by its wake. Yuri was only blasted all the way onto the shore, but Ooyama got the worst of it, getting blasted higher than the River Monster and landing on the cliff with a dull _thud_. On the cliff itself, Yusa retreated to a safe distance.

After making a huge arc in the air, the River Monster flopped back towards the water and dove in, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

The Battlefront was left sprawled erratically over the sandy shore, either groaning, dead, or just unconscious. The depth of the water had been considerably lessened, but nobody noticed yet.

Shiina was the first one to regain consciousness. She wordlessly stood, dusted herself off, and waited for her friends to wake up.

Yuri woke up second. She was curled up against something hard and warm, which was squishing her cheek. It turned out to be Noda's chest, and while she normally would have scrambled to get away, this time she closed her eyes and let her head fall, utterly spent.

Hinata woke up third. He was flat on his flat, legs sprawled, his right arm thrown over something sitting on top of him. Looking down, he saw Yui knocked out cold and laying on top of him. Groaning, Hinata let his head fall to the ground. His back was going to kill him in the morning. He stroked Yui's exposed back mindlessly, though. He liked the way her skin felt. Not that he would ever tell her that.

Otonashi was actually the fifth person to come around. The fourth person was Angel, who had also been blown out of the water and was now splayed on top of him. When Otonashi opened his eyes, he saw Tenshi's amber eyes looking back. Face heating, Otonashi spluttered, "I, uh, sorry-"

"Don't apologize," Angel said passively. She didn't get off of him, for some reason. "Are you alright?"

Otonashi frowned. "Yes."

"Good," Angel nodded. All of a sudden, Otonashi thought he saw a shade of pink creeping up the girl's face. But that couldn't be possible.

Angel stood up then, and bowed, saying, "See you at school," before walking away.

Otonashi groaned as he pulled himself up and watched the girl's retreating form. She wasn't blushing, Otonashi thought. She wasn't.

Right?

**Please review!**


	11. Caged Freedom

**Okay, so another chapter! This one is basically an overall view of some of the characters' reflections on staying in the Afterlife or not. I do realize the last two chapters have not focused on one or two characters specifically, so I will toss one in next. I can see that Hinata and Yui are a popular match, so the next chapter will be about them. But for now, enjoy!**

Chapter 11: Caged Freedom

It was the beginning of one of the tensest nights in the Battlefront's history when Yuri slipped off the edge of the stage in the Performing Arts Center after delivering her speech. After having a brief word with Otonashi and the others, she disappeared from the room.

Everyone dispersed as well, either shaking their heads in wonderment or arguing amongst themselves about what their leader had just told them. It was an event unprecedented in their history, after all. But Takeyama still disapproved of their reaction.

The prodigy hacker had watched the presentation from afar, at the back of the crowd, effectively hidden by the forms of those two band members, Sekine and Irie. He had been listening to the speech, but also was trying to reopen the beta to his online diary. It was one of the few things in this world that he cared at all about, and he didn't intend to lose control over it.

After everyone had cleared out of the PAC, Takeyama emerged from the shadows at the rear of the auditorium and crossed over to the stage. Hoisting himself (and his beloved computer) up, he sat on the edge of the stage with it in his lap. He'd finally gotten the beta open, and Takeyama began to type, humming softly to himself as he composed his biography on the internet.

He stayed typing like that for a good half hour, and he was almost done when he heard the sound of a door being opened. Narrowing his eyes and pushing his glasses forward, Takeyama surveyed the far wall. Who was there? Hopefully not a shadow, but if it was a person, Takeyama did not wish to be disturbed when he was working. Thus decided, he stood and carried his computer to the back of the stage, where a flight of steel stairs were positioned.

A lone figure entered the PAC when Takeyama reached the top of the stairs and walked to the center of the walkway which hung suspended over the stage. It could be dangerous to sit here, but he really didn't want to be disturbed. So he found a chair and resumed his work, completely ignoring the person far below him.

Until he began to dance.

Takeyama's eyes flitted from his screen to survey the intruder's erratic movements, and mentally concluded that it was that American pop culture dope, T.K. The one always quoting Bob Marley and breaking out in dance. Why did that nincompoop have to come here and practice?

He tried to resume his typing, but failed because of T.K. Narrowing his eyes further, Takeyama settled down and watched T.K glide across the wooden floor. It was, he admitted, an interesting technique. Probably something he himself was not capable of, at the moment.

Closing his laptop, Takeyama thought for the first time about Yuri's speech. Leaving the Afterlife. What would it be like? Whenever he made decisions, Takeyama based them on evidence, facts, statistics. But there were none of those around. Not for whatever lay beyond the Afterlife.

_Death is the only thing humans will never understand,_ he thought, looking back down at the dancing T.K. The boy looked so confident in his movements, yet serene and not arrogant at all. Dancing for the sake of dancing. Nothing double layered or hidden to it. Unlike Takeyama, whose every action involved double meaning.

_Maybe the world itself is one huge irony, _Takeyama mused once more. _Perhaps God is only toying with us, his playthings, the pitiful humans._

This was very unusual behavior for the stoic Takeyama, as he was not the philosophical type, nor was he one to use the word _maybe. _But strange tides called for strange answers.

Ignoring T.K for now and looking up at the shadow hidden roof, he thought, _If I leave here, will I still understand the world as it is? Or will it change?_

There was really no way of knowing, and for once Takeyama had to accept it.

Below him, T.K snapped and pose and said, "The End."

Meanwhile, far on the other side of the school, a certain ninja was sitting in her favorite corner of the storage room. If one were to enter the girl's domain (and they couldn't have, without dying once first) he would have seen Shiina's back to him, surrounded by her beloved dolls.

Shiina ran a gentle hand over one of them, heart aching as she felt the soft, plushy fur. She's made all of these, from pure scratch. Such divine cuteness was her own creation. She'd come a long, long way from the wordless savage who roamed the caves which ran under the school, killing anyone who came along. Shiina remembered finding her first doll at this school. Remembered falling in love at first sight, something she'd never done or thought of doing before. Thousands of years she had spent here, literally. Shiina was the type of person who believed in long term investments. Putting effort into something until it bore fruition. A large part of her life was stored in this Afterlife, this crazy World controlled by a God. Heck, her only real existence had begun here. She had been less than nothing before.

Picking up on of the dolls, Shiina cranked its handle and set it down so it could continue waddling around like the others, not wanting it to be left out. _Can I take such a chance? _Shiina thought. _Can I throw away everything I know, everything I believe in and understand, to escape something that will make my current life a living hell?_

It was definitely the hardest decision Shiina had ever fought with. She had been raised to destroy, not to let go. Stealth and assassination were her allies, but they were allies who couldn't help her now. In the end, everyone's fate was chosen by themselves.

In a rare moment, Shiina let herself become lost in her own cogitations. In her distraction, al of the puppy dolls walking about in front of her ground to a halt. She didn't notice until she snapped herself out of her own reverie. The dolls stood disturbingly silent on the concrete floor, not looking up at her or even at eachother, but empty. Dead. Over. Gone.

Gathering her precious treasures up and storing them back in the cabinet, she thought, _Maybe I can take a chance, after all. I just hope it won't cost me too much._

It already had, though, because a lone tear stained the floor as Shiina left the storage room.

Outside, the night air was cool and forgiving against Noda's skin and his axe. Although he knew the Kage were lurking outside, and even inside, everywhere in fact, he paid no heed. He was standing at the bridge which spanned a portion of the river, where he could see the full moon make its journey across the sky and the stars that inhabited it.

He could see those things, but he chose not to, instead giving his attentions to something he held in his hand.

It was a small, wallet sized picture of a girl. The picture itself looked and felt old, worn, and battered, but the person it depicted was still beautiful to him. The girl in the photo had her elbow on the edge of a railing, like him, chin cupped in a small hand. Sharp eyes, like chips of emerald, glared out from her lovely face, beholding an intelligence not many people could hope to match in this world. Yet there was also caring, and professionalism, compassion in those eyes. Fear, worry, and anger were also present. The things that made a person whole. But to Noda, the things that made this person perfect.

For once, Noda's hard, chiseled features slipped away as his eyes adored the photo of Yuri he held in his hand. He'd forced Hinata to take it for him with his automatic camera. He was glad he had.

_I always promised I would protect her,_ Noda thought in a rare philosophical moment. _I said my blade would always stay in front of her. Facing away. But if she's gone from this world, what will my purpose be in life? Who, what will I be? If there is no answer to that question, there's no point in existing here anymore. It would be better to die._

Thinking this, he smiled down at the picture, trying to make up his mind.

"Yurippe!"

Yuri stopped in her tracks when the heralded nickname was called out to her by Hinata. Before it had only made her angry, but now it seemed like something she couldn't live without.

A small smile appearing on her lips, Yuri said, "What a silly nickname. But, maybe that's why you guys followed me."

There was a silence behind her.

Raising a hand in farewell, she said in a soft voice, "Thank you," and took off into the darkness.

As she ran, Yuri knew she was leaving something behind that had become as much a part of her as her own heart and mind. But if she didn't do this, not only she, but her loved ones would be obliterated again. She would not let God do that to her a second time.

_And I gave everyone a choice,_ she thought sadly. _A luxury I never had. At least, although I didn't have a choice, I was able to give something that precious to the people a met._

And that, she concluded, was her most precious treasure.

**Please review! They keep me motivated.**


	12. Home Run Ball

**So, new chapter! A Yui and Hinata one. This one actually takes place in the _After_ Afterlife, or maybe before the Afterlife, it really doesn't matter. On a side note, as requested by one of the Guest reviewers, the next chapter will be about Sekine and Irie. So keep an eye out for that!**

Chapter 12: Home Run Ball

There is a clich'ed, well known saying that new dawns bring new opportunities. The summer of Hinata's sophomore year in high school brought such changes. As always, he joined the baseball team, but this time he was having a breakout season; he was hitting the ball well, didn't make many mistakes, and his teammates were cool.

It had been a day with perfect weather when Hinata went out to practice baseball and instead smashed it through someone's window. Perfect weather should, in any case, accompany such an important day.

After all, if the ball had traveled a foot to either direction, it would have missed the window entirely. And Hinata wouldn't have had to go inside the house to retrieve the ball and apologize fervently to its inhabitants, especially to the girl whose window he'd smashed.

Long story short, he would never have met Yui.

That had been two months ago. Now, at the end of July, Hinata was going over to the girl's house almost every day. It wasn't just for fun, either; Yui needed help with lots of things, no matter how much she wished she didn't, so he would come to help.

It was on one of these days that Yui made him make a promise.

"Hinata, you're going to play in a baseball game today, right?" The pink haired girl asked while he was feeding her breakfast.

Putting the spoon down, Hinata replied, "Yeah...why do you ask?"

"Well," Yui said shyly, looking away, "I was just wondering if you could take me."

Smiling, Hinata said, "I've taken you to games before. Why are you so shy about it?"

When Yui looked back at him, there was a fire in her eyes. "Because this time, senpai, I want you to hit a home run to me."

Hinata's eyebrows shot up and he said, "Eh?"

"You know!" she said cheerfully. "I've watched baseball on the television too, and they always hit homeruns, and someone always catches it, right? I want you to hit one to me!"

Gulping, Hinata stuttered, "Ah, well I'm perfectly capable of hitting a home run, it's just that hitting it _right_ to you is..."

Sensing uncertainty in him, Yui let her lip pout out and eyes widen. Looking up at him, she begged, "Pleeease, Hinata? Can you hit one to me? Please?"

Hinata wanted to tell her that he would certainly try, but it would be near impossible, but knew it wouldn't satisfy this girl. Sighing, he ruffled her pink hair and said, "Alright, alright, I'll do it."

"Yay!" she shouted triumphantly. "Thank you, Hideki," she added, blushing as she used his given name.

Hinata just smiled again and said, "Your Welcome."

Just then, Yui's mother poked her head into the room and said, "Ah, Hinata. Your mother just called me. She said to wait at the front porch for her to get here, it seems you have a baseball game to get to?

Nodding, Hinata said, "Thank you," and Yui's mother left.

"Hideki, feed me one more time," Yui asked nicely.

Hinata leaned over to feed the spoon into Yui's mouth, but instead she reached her neck over and kissed him on the cheek. "Th-thank you," she blushed, before taking a bite out of the spoon and looking away, ears flaming.

Hinata wanted to ask what that was about or at least laugh about it, but from the window he saw his mom's car pull up on the road. "Um...I've got to go," he said, awkwardly patting Yui's head and saying "Bye," before leaving the house.

When he got into the car, his mom asked him, "What the matter, Hideki? Why is your face so red?"

Eyebrows shooting up, Hinata spluttered, "Uh, it's...just hot in there."

His mom narrowed her eyes at him and muttered, "Mmhmmm," before starting the car and driving away.

...

The team practiced for half an hour before the game started. Hinata spent the entire time at the batting cages, trying to get used to the feel of hitting a home run. He'd hit some before, but he wasn't a slugger.

One of his team mates came over and asked him, "Dude, why are you trying so hard to hit it that far?" Panting, Hinata just answered, "I have to."

The coach noticed too, and asked Hinata about it as well. When he also received a vague answer, he just nodded and gave the boy pointers. He knew that if Hinata had to do it, it would be for a good reason.

After practice, everyone filed into the locker room to change out of practice gear and into game gear. By now the opposing team had arrived and was having throwing practice at the outfield. His teams filed out of the lockers and did the same.

Five minutes later the game began. The umpire stood at home plate and had the two coaches greet each other and shake hands, but both had steel in their eyes as they did so. Seeing as Hinata's team was at home, the opposing team would bat first. The umpire hollered, "Play ball!" And it began.

Hinata, whose position was second base, narrowed his eyes at the batter, completely ignoring the crowd. He usually did this, but it was different today. Usually Yui would sit in the seats right behind home plate, and whenever he was at second he could see or at least hear her cheering him on. And when he was batting, Yui's cheers still reached his ears. Now, though, she was sitting in one of the left field seats, in a good position to catch a home run ball. No pressure.

The first half inning went smoothly; the last batter grounded out to him, and Hinata made a good play. He looked over his shoulder as his team ran into the dugout, and looked for Yui's face. He didn't find her, though. Jumping into the dugout, hinata prepared to bat. He was the leadoff hitter.

Three minutes later, Hinata stepped into the batters box full of tensity. As of the moment, the only thing he could see was the middle seat at left field, where Yui was sitting, as he could now see. _I have to hit a home run,_ he thought fiercely.

The pitcher wound up and threw the ball. Hinata immediately knew it would be in the strike zone, and let the bat fly. The ball flew high and far and deep, pushing the outfielder back several steps. The ball finally landed, but not in the seats. Still in the stadium, and Hinata beat it out for a double. A great contribution to the team, but not to Yui. Hinata sighed to himself.

Three innings later, Hinata came up for his second at bat. The game was still scoreless in the fourth inning, despite Hinata's lead off double. This time, the pitcher was more careful with him, throwing outside of the strike zone. Hinata took some pitches and drew a walk; he sighed again as he trotted to first base. A contribution to the team, but not to Yui.

At the end of that particular inning, Hinata ran off the field after another scoreless inning. It was a little frustrating. A double and a walk, yet no score for either team.

When he sat himself back down in the dugout, one of his teammates asked him, "Hey, dude, why so depressed? You're doing great today! You look like your disappointed in yourself or something."

Looking up and smiling, Hinata replied, "Eh, well...thing is, I made a promise to someone."

"What kind of a promise."

"I said I'd hit a home run right to her."

"A girl, huh?"

Hinata stood up and picked up his glove. "Yup."

His teammates whistled and punched his shoulder, saying, "Good luck, dude. Girls hate to be disappointed."

After the next two and a half innings, Hinata took his third at bat and struck out. He came back angry after that. The coach just gave him a reassuring pat on the back.

Forty five minutes later, Hinata walked slowly to the batter's box for what seemed to be his final at bat of the day. Miraculously, the game was still scoreless in the bottom of the ninth inning. Both pitchers were really mowing the batters down today. Breathing in deeply and getting into his batting stance, Hinata waited for the pitch.

The pitcher wound up and threw a blazing fastball right by him, catching Hinata off guard. The umpire stood up behind him and hollered, "Strike one!"

_Focus, Hinata! _he thought fiercely. Looking up, he thought he could see Yui sitting in the stands with her arms crossed. Ugh...

The pitcher threw his second pitch, which Hinata took. It was a ball, so the count was now one ball, one strike. There were two outs in the inning; if Hinata couldn't make a run now, it would mean extra innings.

The next pitch was a high fastball which Hinata absolutely unloaded on. Unfortunately, by swinging so hard he had to forgo accuracy, and the ball glanced off the side of the bat. A foul ball. Two strikes.

_Damn it! _Hinata cursed. That was a ball he should have driven, and he knew it.

The fourth pitch was another ball, this on down in the dirt. Behind him, the crowd stood up and began to cheer, encouraging Hinata. Gripping the bat hard, he stared at the ball in the pitcher's hand and waited.

The fifth pitch of the at bat was a ball that ran inside and almost hit Hinata's head, and it would have if he hadn't veered out of the way at the last minute. The crowd collectively booed. _It seems that the pitcher's nervous too, _Hinata thought.

Stepping out of the batter's box, he took a practice swing and thought, _Alright, full count. Three balls two strikes. I can't strike out, but I can't walk either; neither of those will get a ball into those seats._

Thus realized, he stepped back in and waited for the pitch.

Time slowed as the pitcher reared back and let the ball fly out of his hand. Hinata could see the seams spinning away from him as the ball roared towards him at a frightening speed, but through experience Hinata knew it would be in the middle of the zone. He knew what to do.

Hinata moved quickly, and the bat whipped around, crushing the baseball and sending it rocketing into the air. The crowd got to its feet and roared, cheering as the ball sailed into the left field seats to be caught by a certain pink haired girl sitting in a wheel chair, laughing with joy.

Hinata raised his fist and whooped as he rounded the bases, and his teammates spilled out of the dugout and waited for him at home plate to celebrate the walk off homerun. The opposing pitcher slammed his glove into the ground and stormed off the field. The crowd was going crazy.

He saw all of these things at once, but chose to ignore them. All he really saw was the baseball held in Yui's hand, as the girl clapped and laughed with a happiness he lived to see.

**Thanks for reading!**


	13. Operation High Tension Syndrome

**New chapter! Sekine and Irie one. Pretty serious despite the personalities of the characters involved. And on a side note, it appears that some events in the manga have contradicted some of my stories, so I went online and read them all. Now there's no margin for error :D**

Chapter 13: Operation High Tension Syndrome

The legs of the chair creaked under Sekine's weight as she leaned back in it, letting her neck hang so she stared up at the ceiling. Her best friend Miyukichi was sitting behind her drum set, idly tapping a slow rhythm. Sekine wanted to tell her to stop it so she could conserve more energy, but decided it would be counterproductive. All this thinking was going to drain her, too.

In the middle of the floor of the band room, Yui was sprawled across the wooden tiles like a puddle. Her eyes were wide open and staring at the ceiling as well, but the rest of her body was perfectly still. Hisako sat in her own chair at the far corner with her arms crossed, eyes closed and concentrating.

Sekine sighed and crossed her legs, running two fingers across the skin. It had been exactly one day since Yuri had, in a fit of rage, condemned the Battlefront to ultimate doom by dictating they were to fast for a week. All together. A heinous example of collective torture. Unfortunately, after only five hours Sekine had begun to feel the hunger pangs in her stomach but could not fulfill them. She'd already heard stories. Apparently Fujimaki and Ooyama had attempted to raid the cafeteria, but Yuri and two bullets in two legs cut it off. Noda had been planning to go to the river and try fishing until Yuri promptly order him not to. And of course, he had no choice but to comply.

Now, her stomach had calmed down somewhat. Sekine knew it was not from a lack of need for food, but rather that her stomach had shrunk. And while it was true this punishment would not have any long lasting penalties, it made the ordeal no easier to take.

From her seat behind the drumset, Miyukichi said, "I'm hungry."

"Was that really a necessary thing to say?" Sekine rasped, speaking for the first time in almost eight hours.

Miyukichi dropped her drum sticks on the floor and droned, "Yes. You must all join in on my misery."

"If you're hungry, put salt on your hand and gnaw on it," Sekine said, smiling as she stared up at the ceiling.

Miyuckihi sighed. "If only I had some salt," she echoed, eyeing her palm as if it were a steak.

"The two of you are both _ahodas_," Yui said in a high pitched voice from the floor. "Everyone knows salt doesn't make things edible."

"That's not what we meant," Irie said.

"Everybody shut up," Hisako intruded blandly. "You're all wasting energy."

There was a candid silence in the band room for a few minutes, until Yui randomly sang, "I'm a woman of Naniwa, so I will protect Naniwa. Everyone live your own lives."

In the song, Sekine normally would have jumped in and banged out a guitar riff, but her bass was too far away to reach and she didn't have the energy to get up and retrieve it. So instead, she strummed her fingers across an air guitar and droned, "Da na dana, da nana, da na dana, da nana..."

"I still think you'd have to be an amazing woman to bear the entirety of Osaka," Hisako mused.

"Maybe if you hadn't ruined the moment by wondering that earlier, we wouldn't be fasting right now," Yui sighed from the floor.

Hisako gritted her teeth and growled, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying you need more Osaka pride," Yui retorted, closing her eyes and turning her head away from Hisako.

Jumping from her seat and wasting some much needed energy, Hisako advanced on Yui's prone form and said, "Why, you..."

Also rising from her seat behind the drums, Miyuki blocked Hisako's way and pleaded, "Come on, Hisako, leave her alone."

Gripping the neck of her guitar with murderous intent, Hisako spat, "Why should I?"

Taking advantage of Hisako's distraction, Sekine summoned the will to rise from her seat and walk behind her. Miyuki saw that her friend was about to do something stupid and gave her a quick shake of her head, but Sekine just grinned and swiped Hisako's guitar from behind her.

It took a second for the brunette to register this latest development, beginning with a start and a short "Eh?" Before she whipped around and saw Sekine holding the guitar in her hands.

"Gimme that!" Hisako yelled, lunging for it. Laughing with delight, Sekine raised the guitar high above her head and ran for her life, while Miyuki and Yui watched from the center of room, shaking their heads. "It seems that everyone I know here is an *_ahoda,_" the band's vocalist muttered.

After a few minutes, Hisako caught Sekine thanks to her superior athleticism and gave the blonde bassist a good whacking with the instrument for good measure. The brunette returned to her seat in a foul mood and Sekine sat on the small stage, rubbing her head and grinning sheepishly.

"You both need more Osaka pride," Yui concluded blandly. She was effectively ignored.

_A day and a half later_

Miyuki was once again sitting behind her drum set exactly thirty six hours after Sekine had pulled off her stunt with Hisako's guitar. The blonde bassist in question had moved her chair to sit next to her, and the two of them were sharing a silence that hadn't been broken for quite a while.

Sighing, she finished whittling her drum sticks and set them down for the fiftieth time. They'd literally spent the last three days in this very room, sitting around and getting up occasionally to stretch. The air was starting to get stale, and for some reason the open windows weren't helping.

Next to her, Sekine was holding her bass but wasn't really using it. Perhaps running her fingers along the strings now and then, but not much else. Leaning back in her chair, Miyuki rasped, "Shiori."

Sekine grunted.

"What are you thinking."

Another grunt.

Grumbling herself, Miyuki turned her head the other way. The staggering lack of nourishment had left everyone wasted, even Sekine's usual bright and mischievous personality. She herself was usually the calm and controlled type, but Miyuki could feel even that slipping away.

Placing a hand on her stomach, she surveyed the room. Yui was once again laying prone on the floor, eyes closed peacefully. It was yet to be determined whether she was dead or just sleeping, but no one had bothered to check yet. Hisako had her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall, staring hard at the floor. Sekine was grunting next to her.

Then, Sekine leaned over and picked up Miyuki's dropped drum stick, almost falling over in the process from the wooziness. Raising the wooden stick, she tossed it at Yui in a lethargic manner. The tip of the stick struck Yui on the eyelid, and the vocalist woke up with a dull, "Eh?"

_Twelve hours later_

Sekine woke up when her stomach released a pitiful mewling from its own depths. Running a hand over it, she could feel the organ rumbling, desperately seeking food. _I'm hungry, I'm hungry, _it cried.

_No shit,_ Sekine answered in her head.

When she barely managed to raise her head and look up from her chair, she saw Hisako standing at the edge of the stage with her guitar in her hands. The brunette was gently strumming the strings, humming something as she did so. Suddenly she stopped, and turned, looking at Sekine blandly.

Normally Sekine would have been embarrassed, but right now she simply did not have to energy to muster the emotion. Hisako apparently felt the same way too. The girl's eyes were dead as they stared at the blonde bassist. Her complexion was pale. Her hands shook. Opening her mouth, Hisako said in a shaking voice, "S-s-s-sekine,"

Sekine grunted.

"Tr-try not to eat my dead body before I wake up, okay?" The brunette smiled, before she collapsed to the floor on top of her guitar. Dead.

Sighing, Sekine laid her head back again and resumed sleeping.

_Two days later_

There were countless scientists of countless dispositions who beheld countless argument which strove to prove that humanity was superior to primality. That, when it came down to crunch time, a person's will and intellect could easily outdo his or her more deeper desires.

Well, those scientists could just go ahead and fuck themselves, because at the moment Sekine wasn't sure if she even _had_ her "will and intellect" anymore. All that was left was the desperate, impossible, cavernous, black-hole-like need for _food. Food,_ God dammit!

As usual, Yui was laying in the middle of the floor. The girl hadn't moved or changed position for almost a day now, but Sekine knew she was alive because the vocalist blinked every now and then. It was the morning of the fifth day of their week long fast, and so far only Hisako had collapsed. Although she didn't feel like she could hold on that much longer either.

Something slipped in her hands, and out of nowhere Sekine's bass fell out of her weak grip and fell to the floor. She must have fallen asleep holding it. Sekine prepared herself to bend over and scoop the instrument back up. It was bad to just leave it there.

She actually managed to get her hand around the neck of the guitar, too, before her legs collapsed underneath her. They simply couldn't take her weight anymore. Her impact with the floor send the bass skittering away, even farther now. Letting out a low moan, Sekine curled up on the stage and tried to hide from the world.

The commotion woke up Miyuki, who'd passed out about ten hours ago. Pointing her dead eyes at her best friend, she croaked, "Shiori..."

"Miyuki..." Sekine rasped back. Her friend tried to bend down and help her up, but failed as well, falling off her chair in complete and utter defeat as she landed next to the blond bassist. They died staring into each other's eyes.

_A day later_

On the afternoon of the sixth day of fasting, Yui's bony hand tried to drag a guitar pick across the strings of her instrument, but was unable too. Her arm gave slack and the pick dropped out of her hands. Knees wobbling, she said to no one in particular, "This...is as far as I can go...I tried to go on...to honor your memories...but..."

The sentence was never completed, because GirlDeMo's vocalist fell on her face and crushed the guitar under her before dying a second later.

From the thin opening in the door, Yusa's stark white, malnourished face observed this latest development as she wheezed into her headset, "GirlsDeMo is all wiped out."

From the other end of the line, there came a sound of someone fervently gulping down water, before a voice said, "Ah, whatever...it's not like they're gonna die, right?"

Coughing, Yusa croaked, "I must say...you are one good villain," before her neck gave out and she died, crushing the headset underneath her.


	14. Friendzoned

Chapter 14: Friendzoned

On the day that a Diversion Division flunky became the face (and the next generation) of the Afterlife's most influential (and admittedly, only) band, Yuri had a bad feeling the whole Battlefront was taking a bad turn.

But before the shadows had come, before everything she had built the SSS on was dismantled by Otonashi (and she had been surprisingly okay with it) Yuri thought maybe her worry was for naught.

After all, the girl was talented. Yui could sing, she could play the guitar, although her skills in multitasking could be questioned now and then, according to Hisako. But Yui had spirit, she was devoted, and she had a motive. In Yuri's dogma, a polished mentality.

And of course, Hinata wasn't so alone anymore.

In the early days of the Battlefront, when it had been only Yuri and Hinata, the blue haired boy was part of every aspect of the SSS's actions. After all, who else was she supposed to cooperate with? The school headmaster? Yet when Ooyama joined, then Chaa, and battle powerhouses like Shiina and Noda, any neutral observer would have remarked that Hinata's value to the cause was fading somewhat. Not that he would ever be neglected by Yuri, but he was not as vital a cog in the operation as he was before. Even when Ooyama was around, he had been second only to Yuri (no matter how much it annoyed him). Only when those with unique contributions came up did he begin to fade.

_In that sense, Otonashi may have actually been the best thing that happened to him here, not Yui,_ Yuri thought as her pencil scratched the paper she was drawing on. _If not for that boy, Hinata would have been truly alone. After all, it's not like Yui's confessed to him yet, or vice versa._

It was true, too. Everyone knew they liked each other. The ones actually involved were just too stupid to see it. _Idiot,_ Yuri thought mildly. She continued drawing on her paper. Artistry wasn't something she ever dealt in, but today was a special day. Yet that was a story for another time.

As her pencil shaped an edge on the paper, Yuri remembered the bowl of ramen she'd shared with the late vocalist of GirlsDeMo, Iwasawa. _Maybe it's true. Maybe I am too fixed on improving the Battlefront, _she thought. No matter how hard she focused, there were always times when she wondered if thinks could have been different if she was a little more...eh, _loose. _Would she have connected more with her soldiers, namely Hinata? After all, she'd treated him like a warrior of lower rank from the very start. Any attempt at empathy had been branded insubordinate.

_What would we have been if not for everything else? _Everything else being the Afterlife's existence in general. Yuri shook her head and directed her attention at her drawing. It was unlike her to wonder about the past like this. It wasn't in her nature. After all, she'd escaped the greatest tragedy of her life by forgetting the past altogether. Her own presence in this world kind of negated that, though.

_I'm not regretful. I'm not jealous of what Yui and Hinata have. _And it was true. She wasn't going to be spiteful just because others had deeper connections to each other than she did. And it wasn't the fact that Hinata was the one involved, either. It wasn't.

Yuri had just resolved to resume her drawing when she heard the door creak open behind her.

Her hackles immediately rose. Yuri was sitting at a desk in one of the many art rooms housed in the school, and this one was one of the most isolated. It was the farthest from Headquarters. That was why _she_ was here after all.

A hand darted under her shirt, and came out holding a gun. Without even turning to look, Yuri threw an arm behind her and pulled the trigger three times.

There was a shriek and the sound of bullets hitting the opposite wall. Two of them made the sharp ambience of the wall, but the third bullet sounded like it had hit something soft. Something alive.

Turning, Yuri saw Yui laying crouched on the floor.

Seeing this, Yuri realized two things: the first being that she really needed to pick her hiding spots better. She'd already been discovered on the roof and at the cafeteria, now this. The second was that the third bullet had hit a stack of papers which had been tacked to the wall, not flesh.

"Yui," Yuri grunted, "What do you want?"

It took a second for the vocalist to answer, but suddenly the girl popped up and shrieked, "What do I want? What do you want! Why did you pull a gun on me? You shot it too!"

Shrugging, Yuri said, "I thought I was in danger."

"From what? Tenshi? For being in _class?" _Yui fumed, crossing her arms as her devil's tail swished back and forth. Yuri wanted to cut it off with her knife, but she restrained herself.

"I don't see why not. Tenshi's crazy and evil now, right?" The leader grunted, rolling up the paper she'd been scratching at with her pencil and trying to tuck it out of sight.

Yui, however, noticed this and shot out, "What were you drawing? You sure seem to be happy to hide it."

Yuri's movements stopped abruptly, and she had to fight back a blush. "It's nothing. Don't question me further or I'll aim before I shoot next time." There was a final silence.

"That said," Yuri continued, "What are _you_ doing here?"

Yui, having less composure herself in comparison to Yuri, felt her face going scarlet. "I...ah, I was here to draw something."

"Well, obviously. Tell me what it was."

"Tell me what you were drawing then."

"I don't have to."

"Then neither to I."

"I could have you beheaded for insurrection."

"Wouldn't matter. I'd be back soon enough."

The Battlefront's leader heaved a sigh and muttered, "What does he see in you?" before turn around to stare at the window.

Brow furrowing, Yui demanded, "What? What does who see in me? Tell me!"

"It's none of your business," Yuri said curtly, although it was actually entirely her business. Yui caught on to this as well, and fumed, "You said 'what does he see in _me'. _I'm pretty sure I'm involved in this."

"I don't understand why a guy like Hinata could fall so deeply in love with a girl that annoys him so often," Yuri almost snarled, before she flipped out a knife and impaled it into the table before leaving the room. The handle of the knife quivered with centrifugal force from the energy Yuri had exerted on it, and Yui watched it tremble, barely able to process what her leader had just told her.


	15. Immemorial

**Hello everybody! I know it's been an eternity since I updated. I also know that this chapter is unbelievably short. I am also aware of the fact that it is relatively subpar. However in all honesty, i am drained of ideas for this string of stories, not to mention that I seem to have lost all motivation to continue…so this will be the last chapter of this story. Not a good note to end it on, I know, but it was the best I could cook up at the moment. However, I do also have a Fictionpress account, and anyone wanting to look into that can search "Shrrg" in the author keyword and you should find me. Thank you for reading this far. I appreciate it.**

Chapter 15: Immemorial

_Pitter patter pitter patter._

_Pitter patter pitter patter pitter patter._

It was raining.

Raining what?

_Pitter patter._

The earth beneath her was soggy, mud now. The droplets from the heavens soaked her clothes. Out of exhaustion, her mouth was sagging open ever so slightly, and she could taste the damned rain on her tongue. Water, perhaps. Or maybe blood.

_Pitter patter._

Yuri felt the beating of her heart. Yet not frantic as she would have expected, but slow, gentle, calm. Maybe defeated. Was she defeated? The last time her heart had slowed like this, the last time the weight of the world was so prominent on her shoulders...her family...

Yuri's tears joined the rain, mixing with the torrent. The water has taken my soul, she thought absently. Down, down below. To hell.

Using what little energy she had left, Yuri turned her head to the right and stared at the prone forms outlined by the rain before her. Never had the skies wept so in the Afterlife. Perhaps a light drizzle, but never the downpour she was experiencing right now. Had it come to take them all to hell?

There had been a time, long ago, when she had felt wronged. Yuri still did feel wronged. The aching emptiness, the need for someone, anyone...this was how she felt when she first awoke here. Now she felt it again, that same telltale pain in her chest, the mark that she was either scared or dying, probably both.

Then rain broke for a moment, then, as a dark figure trotted through the unforgiving mud. It passed the dead forms littered across the ground without any acknowledgement, as if they were but spots of grass struggling to live. The figure's footsteps did not cease until Ayato Naoi was standing next to her.

Yuri's hand was still lying on her pistol. Her fingers was even wrapped around the trigger. Yet she made no move to shoot. Naoi knelt and pried the gun from her dead hands, tossing it away into the screen of rain. Yuri stared blankly up at him.

"How do you feel?" asked the boy, as if the answer wasn't obvious. A smirk played across his face.

Yuri couldn't reply, save a weak flick of her tongue as she struggled to speak.

Naoi chuckled briefly. "I suppose that was rhetorical. After all, this must feel a bit like _deja vu,_ am I correct?"

Yuri managed to let out a short whine this time, as the muscles in her neck spasmed and went still.

"Oh yes," Naoi hissed. "I know all about you. Your past, everything. Now everybody you love is dead once more. I wonder, is it enough to break your _soul?"_

There was silence in the night for a few moments, save the smack of the rain, until Yuri choked and rasped, "Fuck you."

Naoi smiled indulgently at her. Then, putting his face next to her ear, he snarled, "Try all you will, once the dawn breaks, a little part of you will be gone, forever."

After saying that, he got up and made to walk away, but was apprehended when Yuri flopped over and tripped him with her hand. Naoi went facedown into the mud, his cap flying off. Rasping and gasping for breath, Yuri forced herself to one knee and said, "You're gonna be missing a few parts of yourself too, if I can help it."

Naoi didn't reply. Instead, he turned with blinding speed and punched her across the face, jerking Yuri's head to the side and sending her sprawling into the mud. He jumped and tried to crush her under him, but Yuri kicked his chest and rolled away, staggering to her feet.

But Yuri was weak, and defeated, so she only managed to stay erect for a moment before collapsing back into the mud.

Panting heavily, Naoi walked over to her and sent a kick into her side. Yuri didn't even cry out in pain, just stared glassy eyed into the distance. She wasn't dead, but very close to it.

Leaning over her, Naoi grabbed a fistful of her hair and roared, "Submit to me! You're nothing! You and your friends were always doomed to die, here, in eternal sadness. Submit to me!"

Drawing in a last, shuddering breath, Yuri wailed, "I belong in hell," before her neck gave slack and her head fell back, the life draining out of her for now.

Growling in anger, Naoi let her hair go and stepped back. Muttering, "Idiot," he turned and walked away into the rain.

Meanwhile, Yuri's body sank partially into the mud, as if trying to consume her. She wouldn't have minded if it had, either, because honestly, who needs heaven when you can have hell?


	16. Hallelujah

**Woohoo! I wrote another chapter! :D I've just gotta say that it's getting harder to come up with good ideas, but I'll try! :D Enjoy! There might be another chapter up tomorrow or the day after.**

Chapter 16: Hallelujah

Kanade's fingers ached slightly as they danced elegantly over the keys of her piano, the crystal notes released by their movement resonating through her skull and mind. A medium, neutral beat, something almost like a ballad, but different somehow. Angrier? More meaningful? In all honesty, Kanade herself did not know. The beat had just come to her one day, and play it she had.

The song ended with the ceasing of her fingers' dance, and the sound faded away. Turning her neck until it popped, Kanade placed her hands upon the keys once more. She didn't know why, but there was a need felt in her, telling her to master this. It meant something. But what?

_There aren't any lyrics, either,_ she thought blandly as she played.

Out of the corner of the eye, she thought she saw the form of Yuri Nakamura, walking quickly across the track field in sight through the open window. Kanade's playing did not falter in the slightest, but secretly she was watching the girl, knowing that she was docile at the moment, but that could change in an instant.

As the Angel looked on, another figure caught up to Yuri. That one, the one who toted his axe around all the time. Kanade knew the boy was an idiot, often getting himself into unnecessary trouble that always led to his leader smacking him upside the head. A harsh punishment perhaps, but she herself did not tolerate stupidity. Speaking of which, the boy had caught up with Nakamura and stopped her, speaking rapidly. Angel played a little faster as she observed, and thought.

The conversation did not last long, and it ended with Nakamura smacking him upside the chin as usual. The boy fell to the ground yelling as she walked away, acting completely oblivious to his pain. Kanade did not understand him. Anyone else could make a snide comment and receive a good dicing in the process, but that Nakamura girl...what made her so special to him? What pleased him in her that others did not have?

This question bore the answer to another; what were to be the lyrics?

The words almost poured out of her mouth, but Kanade controlled them, conforming the sounds to match the rhythm.

_I've heard there was a secret chord_

_That David played, and it pleased the Lord,_

_But you don't really care for music, do you?_

_It goes like this_

_The fourth, the fifth_

_The minor fall, the major lift,_

_The baffled king composing Hallelujah_

The other girl, Iwasawa, would have been proud, Kanade reflected with a little amusement as the words kept coming. A memory, briefly, transported her thoughts back long ago, when she'd performed an inspection of the school grounds and happened upon that axe-bearer. They hadn't spoken, and she'd just stood there, completely still but ready to fight if necessary. The boy had just given her an angry, wounded look, before turning and disappearing into the dark, perhaps a cave. Kanade had never seen the boy again, until Nakamura went after him and brought him and his axe to see the sun once more. She'd seen the look pass his face when Nakamura spoke to him, the way he treated her compered to everyone else. A high and mighty King, aloof until Love struck him upside the head, in the form of Yuri Nakamura.

_Your faith was strong but you needed proof_

_You saw her bathing on the roof_

_Her beauty_

_In the moonlight,_

_Overthrew you_

_She tied you_

_To a kitchen chair_

_She broke your throne,_

_She cut your hair!_

_And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah..._

Hallelujah, hallelujah, Angel thought as she felt herself slipping, losing herself in the rhythm. Out of nowhere, she wondered what the axe-bearer would have sacrificed to devote himself so entirely to Nakamura. Pride, a portion of his independence perhaps. Most importantly, a free part of his own heart. Less room for him, but more for her... Perhaps this was love, where two people lived to make room for eachother in their own existences...to prolong longevity...

_Maybe I've been here before_

_I know this room, I've walked this floor_

_I used to love alone before I knew you_

_I've seen you flag on the marble arch,_

_Love if not a victory march!_

_It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah!_

Yes, that was love. Cutting off a part of yourself to give to another. If one was lucky, a part of the other's heart could be received...and that would make them part of eachother. You couldn't love someone without breaking yourself down first, you couldn't find it and come out shouting in triumph, it was but a self humbling, a life lesson, a pain that induced not tears but a joyous hallelujah.

_There was a time you'd let me know_

_What's real and going on below_

_But now you never shot it to me do you?_

_The holy dark was moving too_

_And every breath we drew was hallelujah..._

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

Of course, if you'd cut off a part of your heart, the life would slowly seep out of you. So until Nakamura accepted the axe bearer's proposals, his lifeblood would soak into the dirt, bit by bit taking the rest of him with it. The axe bearer was squatting on the ground now, tracing shapes with the hilt of his weapon. Kanade imagined he was attempting the map out the rest of his time here in the Afterlife, and just how much of it he was willing to let go of.

_Maybe there's a God above,_

_And all I ever learned from love_

_Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you..._

_It's not a cry you can hear at night_

_It's not somebody who's seen the light,_

_It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah!_

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah..._

_**Short, but I thought it was meaningful. Thanks for reading!**_


	17. Lethargy

**New chapter! Unexpected, eh? I know, sorry XD but I get bored to, you know? Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 17: Lethargy

The bark under Chaa's hands groaned slightly as he climbed his way up the tree, keeping his progress steady as not to topple any of its limbs with his greater weight. Chaa wasn't a man who much cherished the need for sentimental value, but this tree was very important to his history in the Afterlife. After all, it was where he'd met Yuri, and a massive chain of improbable events had ensued.

The sun was lasing the edges of the river when he reached the top of its uppermost branch. Squinting, Chaa let his long bangs help block out the rays from the sun as he stared out over the horizon. Grunting in satisfaction, he settled back for a moment to watch the dying ball of flame sink into the grips of the impending night. Such a scene was one Chaa had lived plenty of times in his original life; his wife had loved watching sunsets. He'd never understood the importance of watching a massive ball of helium spin out of view, but it had made her happy, so he'd put up with it. Ever since he'd woken up in the Afterlife though, Chaa had felt a certain yearning to return to the past, what once was, the overly dubbed "good old times." And so, when time permitted and no one else was around to watch, he climbed this tree and many other trees to watch the sun in life after death set slowly. It comforted him, in a way, to know that if his wife had been here with him, they still would've been able to watch a sunset together.

Chaa's silent meditation was disturbed, however, when he sensed a slight rustling sound beneath him at ground level. He looked down, ready to see one of the less bright Battlefront members looking back up at him, prepared to taunt him about being a secret softie of some sort. Not that Chaa gave a damn about most peoples' opinions. The people who inhabited the Afterlife were simply not mature enough to understand the reasoning behind most of his actions, and Chaa hated dealing with stupidity.

There was no one standing at the foot of the tree though, and Chaa frowned in confusion. There had certainly been a sound. An animal would not have been so noisy as to be heard form this height. It must have been a human. Someone clumsy.

Then a thought occurred to him, and Chaa smiled.

_Ko._

The underground tunnels which fed into the Guild were cool and damp in comparison to the dry heat of the outside, and Chaa welcomed in gratefully; sometimes being overly hairy could have its disadvantages. He kept his eyes to the ground as he walked, following the starkly obvious trail of footprints running along the path he followed. Whoever had snuck into the Guild ahead of him either wanted to be followed or didn't care. Either of those possibilities could lead to dire consequences, so Chaa made sure to keep a pistol cocked inside his jacket. Otherwise he walked calmly and surely, following the trail.

Over the course of the next ten minutes, the footprints veered off to abstract locations that few people knew about, meaning Chaa and a couple of his closest workers. It lessened some of the pent up sense of caution inside of his chest; at least his quarry was someone he could trust.

Finally, the footprints took a final drastic turn to the left and proceeded to lead...straight into a wall. Grinning, Chaa turn the safety on his pistol back on. There was no need to worry. Only two people knew about this place in the tunnels, and Chaa was one of them. Lifting an arm, he dug four fingers into a hidden niche in the wall and tugged. With his strength, a facade of sorts was pulled away from the rock wall, revealing a tight spiraling staircase leading downwards. Chaa stepped into the recess and replaced the fake wall before proceeding down the stairs.

The flight ended in what seemed like a simple stone floor. Closer examination however, revealed a small hatch in the corner, which Chaa pulled. He watched a trapdoor swing open under him, and jumped down, landing on a tall platform lined with steel railings that overlooked a massive cavern. Chaa looked up when he landed and saw a smaller figure outlined against the dim lighting of the cave. The newcomer was standing with his arms on the rails, staring out at the expanse of rubble before him. Before Chaa could move or call out, the man said, "Strange to so willingly destroy something we worked so hard to build."

Chaa got to hit feet and dusted himself off. "Indeed," he agreed. "But with war comes the need to make sacrifices."

"People run out of things to sacrifice eventually."

Chaa chuckled blandly and walked up to the man, clapping him on the shoulder. "Ko, you crazy bastard, I knew you were running around here somewhere. I expected for you to come give your best friend a proper farewell before disappearing."

Ko smiled at turned, revealing that he wore the outfit of the workers of the Guild. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he agreed. Then a look of melancholy crossed his face. "Everyone else seems to have chosen their path."

"Indeed. We are the only Guild members left."

"What have you been doing in your spare time then, old man? Counting the piles of dirt you can use to make new weapons?"

It was just a joke, not an insult, but it stung nonetheless. "There is no more need for new weapons Ko, you know that much. And the rest of the Guild members are gone because their purpose has been fulfilled. Not to mention," he added with a tasteless laugh, "That the Guild is nothing but rubble."

"You can say that again," Ko snorted, gesturing out at the expanse of debris before them. "Your boys did have an aptitude for explosives."

"They were good for nothing else of the sort," Chaa said, although fondly, as he walked up to the railing and looked out with Ko. There really was nothing left to see. Just mountains and mountains of rubble piled upon itself, filling the entire cavern. They had fit hundreds of men and countless machines, not to mention a thousand guns inside this expanse before. Now there was nothing. Chaa knew the layout of the cavern well enough to point out with the entrance and exit would have been, and the spot in the roof where Tenshi had first penetrated her way into the Guild's inner sanctum. He even remembered the spot in the middle of the cavern where Ko's boys had undertaken the Ballistic Cannon project, the so called superweapon they'd tried to fry Tenshi with. It had, of course, exploded, leaving everyone except the intended target injured. Both Ko and Chaa had tried to talk them out of it, but once their workers were onto something they just couldn't be shaken. A trait both advantageous and disadvantageous. Disadvantageous in the case that their failure often brought Yuri's unbridled wrath down upon their heads like lightning from heaven.

"She's a feisty one, eh Captain?" Ko said, smiling faintly at him.

Chaa arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"That girl, Nakamura. Works us all like mules but none of the boys care, they all adore her. It's amazing, really."

"How did you know I was thinking about her?"

Ko adjusted a pair of spectacles that perched upon his nose. "You get that look whenever you do. Kind of like the one you get when you talk about your wife. Maybe not as intense, but pretty similar. You've always said that Nakamura reminds you of her."

Chaa laughed genuinely this time. "She sure does. Who knows, maybe Yuri is somehow a reincarnation of my wife."

They both shared a laugh at that.

"I've fallen into quite a lethargy in such a short time," Chaa reflected out loud when the merits died down. "Within the course of a day I've got from head of the Guild to head of a massive pile of rocks. It's astounding, really. I remember when I first met you wandering the caves like a goddamn fly trapped in the sink."

Ko smiled again, albeit a little sheepishly. "I had no idea what I was doing," he recalled.

"No kidding. I had to save your ass from the tunnel rats," Chaa chuckled. "You proved to have an aptitude for crafting though, so I decided to keep you around. Then came the others."

"Then came the others," Ko agreed. "And soon there were so many that you couldn't remember all of their names. You had to turn down so many too, because they didn't have the sufficient memories to do what was needed. Even then, there were so many."

Chaa just nodded letting the topic drop. Then he said, "What do you think of Yuri's sentiments, Ko?"

"Her sentiments?"

"Her plan, essentially. She told everyone to get the hell out of the Afterlife, and if they didn't want to, they could always stay and get turned into an NPC. It may be a crappy choice, but she gave them a choice nonetheless. Who knows, maybe some decided to stay for a little longer, like you and I. People are afraid of change."

Ko gave his mentor a look. "Are you afraid of change, Chaa?"

"No. I'm afraid that a gun might not be able to finish the job this time."

Ko nodded in understanding. "It's always been a gun to finish the job. It's always the one that kills, not the person wielding it. It's started and ended wards, assassinated world leaders, and cleansed scum from the earth while at the same time murdering those who are pure of heart. Guns are versatile and indiscriminate, a bit like Death was a while back. But people don't always die under the same conditions anymore. I think Yuri was right in her actions. Everyone should have a choice. Because there is always a choice. Shoot the gun, or get shot. That's all there is to it."

Chaa smiled at his pupil, sadness crossing his features. "Are you going to disappear on me, lad?"

Ko grinned back. "I'm afraid the time has come, Captain. I'm all out of bullets. Maybe, if I'd had more time, I could have brought more, but right now there's nothing left to do. I'll see you around, Chaa-san. It's been good. Maybe we'll meet again."

Chaa frowned affectionately at the empty space when Ko had once been. "We'll meet again someday," he promised, taking out his favorite pistol and laying it on the platform where Ko had been. Then he picked up his final gun and carried it out of the ruins of the Guild, set of delivering it to the only person who could both save and destroy them all.

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**Bye!**


	18. Past Mistakes

Chapter 18:

Humans are, for all intents and purposes, flawed creatures. The explanations for our race's imperfections vary from religious to personal to downright bullshit, but it is widely accepted that we haven't really reached the peak of our existence yet. For example, people tend to try and bury things until they blow over, or just simply forget about it and hope nothing ever comes of it. Unfortunately, such negligence promotes back luck.

So it was for Hideki Hinata.

Hinata was currently snoring his head off in building B, where the dorms rested. They'd pulled off a rather risky operation that previous night and the stress had gotten to him somewhat, so he'd felt a good rest was in order. Yuri, however, seemed to think otherwise.

The door to him room was abruptly kicked open as the Battlefront's leader stormed into the room on a mission. It brought a whole new meaning to "rude awakening" and Hinata jumped off the bed in his shock, rubbing his eyes frantically to discover the source of the disturbance. When he saw Yuri, his gaze grew smoldering and he ground out, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Do you have any porn mags?" the girl threw over her shoulder as she commenced digging through a pile of his stuff.

"..."

"Wait, what?"

Yuri rolled her eyes and turned to face him, hands on her hips in agitation. "You heard me. I need some."

Hinata rubbed the back of his neck to work out the kinks and sighed, "Why?" Still too tired to express any confusion at her request.

"For a diversion, obviously! Do you really think Angel could resist trying to sort out an issue involving several pages of yaoi appearing around the school?"

That got his attention. Hinata glared up at Yuri and spat, "What makes you assume I have any yaoi, or even any porn mags to begin with?"

The purple haired girl rolled her eyes again and brushed her bangs back like she was chastising a child. "You have a penis, Hinata. It doesn't take too much thinking."

Hinata couldn't stop himself from blushing at those words, and this gave Yuri enough time to turn around and root through his stuff once more. Recovering somewhat from his shock, he called out, "You won't find anything in there. It's just clothes and old stuff-"

"Hey, what's this?" Yuri cried out suddenly, and Hinata thought for a moment that she had actually discovered his porn mags. _Well, shit._

But when Yuri stood up and looked at what she was holding in her hands, Hinata saw that it wasn't a porn mag. No, it was something much, much worse.

There was a cold, stricken silence in his dorm as Yuri examined the photo held in her hand and Hinata tried to develop alibis in his head.

"H-H-Hinata," Yuri stuttered at last, breaking the bluenette out of his reverie. "What the hell is this?"

Being neglected enough time to think up an explanation, Hinata went with the easiest response. "What is what?"

"THIS!" the girl roared, whipping around and shoving the photo into his face.

Of course, Hinata instantly recognized the image. It was a picture of Yuri that he had taken a while ago, during an excessively hot day in which the Battlefront leader had opted to take a nap. In the photo, Yuri's shirt was unbuttoned to the point of exposing her bra, and she sat with her legs crossed over the table, which prevented her skirt from doing much to cover her up. A slight trail of drool dribbled out of the corner of her mouth, her hairband was crooked, and her skin gave off a slight sheen from the sweat she'd accumulated.

"Uh...um, this is..." Hinata croaked, mind still in deadlock.

"_Explain yourself!"_ Yuri Nakamura hissed, seizing his shirt collar and bring them eye to eye. For what felt like the first time in months, Hinata shrank under the fury held within the twin green orbs.

"When did you take this picture? Was it on that day? When we went to the river and the giant cod blasted us all out of the water? What made you think you could even do such a thing? Huh? Tell me. Tell me!" Yuri almost screeched as she literally forced Hinata onto his back on the bed, both hands to his sides to prevent any sort of escape.

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you!" Hinata yelled.

Yuri calmed down long enough to listen.

Hinata made sure to lock eyes with her, in order to distract the girl from his intentions. "I took that photo because..."

"...Because?" Yuri prompted, the fires still smoldering in her eyes.

There was a silence that lasted only a moment before Hinata muttered, "Sorry," and swiped the photo from Yuri's hands. Before the girl could react, Hinata vaulted himself off the bed and fled from the room as fast as he could.

"HIDEKI HINATA!" Yuri bellowed as she tore the dorm's door open and gave chase, like a lion pursuing a gazelle.

Meanwhile, Hinata blew through the halls of the high school intent on surviving this ordeal without having to explain himself. Mostly because he really didn't have a reason for taking that picture, but he couldn't say that to Yuri. Even if he had been truthful, the girl would have put him under severe punishment anyways. A crowd of female NPCs cried out in alarm when he rudely shoved his way through them. The girls grumbled to themselves and began to dust themselves off, only to be floored once again by Yuri's fury as she continued hot on Hinata's trail. Panicking now, he rounded the corner and ran smack into Otonashi.

"Yuzuru!" he panted, trying to speak through the oxygen his lungs needed. "Help me?"

"Why?" the orange haired boy inquired, sipping a cup of Key Coffee.

"No time to explain, let's go!" Hinata grabbed Otonashi's wrist and yanked him after him. Crying out in shock, he was about the reprimand his friend when he looked behind him and saw Yuri storming after them, eyes ablaze with murderous intent.

"Ah," Otonashi said dumbly before he turned tail and ran after Hinata.

Meanwhile, a bit ahead of the point of conflict, Shiina was also strolling through the halls, spending a rare moment outside of the storage room. In her arms she cradled a cute little wind up doll, which she cradled from side to side. The little thing's ear had chipped when she'd accidentally dropped it (a surprising revelation, as Shiina rarely lost her concentration).

_I'll go get your fixed, little one,_ the ninja thought softly as she headed towards the crafts room.

Yet suddenly, a loud banging began emanating from behind her. Whipping around with her knife at the ready, Shiina's ears strained to locate the source of the disturbance. She didn't have to wait long, as Hinata and Otonashi skidded around the corner and fled past her in obvious terror. Shiina, now apprehensive, readjusted her grip on her weapon and waited to face whatever had stricken her companions so.

What came around the corner afterwards was far from what she expected.

Yuri Nakamura pounded her way after the two males, ears literally steaming in absolute rage. Shiina, caught off guard by the terrifying look her leader had (even the ninja had her weaknesses), took a step back.

This proved to be a mistake, as Yuri crashed her past the ninja and knocked the wind up toy out of her hands. In one horrible moment, the cute dog flew through the air and hit the wall, instantly shattering into a million pieces.

There was a dead silence in the hall as Shiina stared, stricken, at the carnage before her.

And then the anger began.

_Hinata. _It was always that bum's fault, one way or another. She'd tolerated his incompetence before, but this was the last straw. Pulling out a second knife, Shiina sped down the hall, intent on destroying her target.

So the thunderous rampage continued, now with both Shiina and Yuri baying after Hinata and Otonashi. It seemed like the scales couldn't tip farther from in the boys' favor, but as usual the universe had every intention of proving them wrong.

The two escapees slid down the stairs to the first floor and dashed for the door, throwing it open and running outside to the clay covered ground of the school's track field. Otonashi dismayed when he saw the open expanse before him. There was no way they could hide from the girls in this setting.

Meanwhile yet again, a certain body builder was enjoying a bowl of food in the middle of the track field. Although this was admittedly a strange place to eat, the school officials wouldn't let Matsushita cook his food with a fire anywhere else. Even though disobeying such an order would mean rebelling, the big man usually chose enjoyment of food over unnecessary quarreling.

Matsushita heard the rumbling behind him as he was bottoming up his fifth bowl of ramen. Letting out a blunt, "Hm?" and turning around, he observed a spectacular chase commencing before his eyes. "Those two have pissed off the women again," he observed blandly. Turning his eyes away from the conflict, he continued his meal.

It was interrupted, however, when Shiina and Yuri blasted past him. The wind created by their passing caused dust to fly everywhere, and the pile of meal tickets Matsushita kept by his side at all times was scattered into the air. Letting out a choked cry, he made a grab for them, but only managed to save a few before the rest landed gently into the middle of his cooking fire.

There was a moment of silence as Matsushita envisioned all of the meals he'd just lost.

And then the anger began.

"You will pay..." the big man growled, "With your lives!" And with that, he sprang after the two girls.

Kanade Tachibana was quietly enjoying her bento during the class's lunch period when Naoi suddenly burst into the room. "Student Council President?"

Turning her golden eyes on him, Kanade droned, "What?"

"Those rebels! They're storming around the entire school, desecrating the track field! Please, Student Council President, you have to do something-"

"Very well," Kanade interrupted him with a fluid ease that didn't match the bored tone of her voice. "Wait here."

Back at the track field, Yuri and Shiina had just about caught up with the boys. Letting out a final roar of triumph, Yuri sprang and managed to grab onto Hinata's collar.

"Noooo!" he screamed as he was pulled into Yuri and Shiina's clutches, and was instantly struck and violated in every way possible. Otonashi shouted in alarm and dove into the fray, trying to untangle everyone but failing miserably. Meanwhile, Matsushita let out an animal like growl and jumped, throwing his entire massive girth into the pile of writhing bodies. This, understandably, stopped the struggle, and everyone was thrown left and right.

Rubbing his head in pain, Otonashi cracked an eyes open and saw a mane of hair that reached a certain girl's knees.

"What do you think you're doing?" Angel said softly.

"Whoa!" Otonashi exclaimed, scrambling back to put some distance between them. "Uh..ah, nothing!"

"I seriously doubt that."

"Um..well..."

"Student Council President, I present you with the culprit!" Yuri suddenly shouted, dragging Hinata over by the scruff of his neck. "He took an inappropriate and illegal picture of me without my permission! Then he stole the picture and made a run for it!"

"Hideki Hinata must suffer for his actions," Shiina concurred, barely restraining herself. "He broke my doll!"

"Hey, what about me?" Matsushita yelled, stomping over. "These two girls burned all my meal tickets. They were priceless! How am I supposed to replace them?"

"You're all getting detention," Angel interrupted them all blandly.

"..."

"Eh?"

"Nakamura, you burned Matsushita's meal tickets and caused a public disturbance. Shiina, you were an accomplice in this. Hinata, you took an illegal photo. Matsushita, you started a meal fire in the middle of the track field. All four of you, come with me."

_~Thirty Minutes Later!_

"I still don't understand why Otonashi didn't get jailed too," Hinata complained from his perch on the bench in the Reflection Room. Angel had promptly lock them all in there, with the exception of Yuzuru, who was staring into his friends' cell from the outside. He counted as a visitor.

"Well, maybe if you hand't taken that picture none of this would have happened," Otonashi sighed.

"No kidding," Yuri hissed at him.

"Shut up," Hinata grumbled.

"My doll..." Shiina moaned.

"My meal tickets!" Matsushita roared as he unleashed his fury on the wall behind him.

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**Please review! Random update, I know~**


	19. The Loudest Silence

**Not as on par with my other chapters as I'd like it to be, but I really wanted to update today.**

**So tell me in the reviews, do you want me to write more funny chapters next, or more serious chapters? Or perhaps an entirely different kind? Ideas for scenarios and character pairings are much appreciated.**

**Enjoy!**

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Chapter 19: The Loudest Silence

"Thanks so much, Onii-chan!"

The words struck Otonashi's heart with the same pleasure filled dagger as they always did, resonating through his chest and spreading a warm feeling throughout that he couldn't find anywhere else. It was a chilly day, the middle of November, and the sky outside was gray with clouds which were portentous with rain. What little sunlight that did penetrate the dark clouds above filtered its way through the window by Hatsune's bed, forming a rectangle of brightness in an otherwise dark and empty hospital room. Otonashi watched with a slight smile on his face as his little sister carefully undid the wrapping he'd put the manga into before pulling out the real prize. That was something strange about Hatsune, the way she unwrapped things. She always did it so carefully, like wrapping paper was something precious or rare.

Otonashi had asked his little sister about such behavior before, and her response had been just as archaic. With an innocent tip of the head, she'd said, "It's bad to waste."

Despite that failed attempt to get a profound explanation, Otonashi found himself itching to ask again. So as Hatsune delicately placed the brown wrapping on the bedside table beside her, he indulged his curiosity and asked, "Hatsune, how come you're always so careful when you unwrap gifts?"

Hatsune, who had been about the crack open the new manga, found herself interrupted. Looking at him with those round doe eyes, she said, "Didn't you ask me this before?"

Otonashi smiled in embarrassment and brushed his hair out of his left eye. "I did, but I'm afraid I didn't quite understand your response. I understand that it's bad to waste paper, but people usually aren't so careful with the stuff to begin with."

A smile graced his little sister's face at the slight tease, and the room became a bit brighter. Turning to look out the window, Hatsune answered, "I just enjoy preserving things..."

Otonashi remained silent, awaiting the rest.

"I don't have a lot of possessions, you know?" she continued shyly, like she'd done something wrong. Of course, Hatsune was the figure of docility, but she found it difficult to believe that. "I don't like to lose things or break things...I understand for most people, possessions like gifts or wrapping paper come along pretty easily. So, for them it's alright to not worry about small things like that and focus on the _big_ things, right Onii-chan?"

His silence continued.

Another smile forming on the girl's lips, she continued, "But for me, I can't do what other people can do, or have what they have, so the small things in life are really important...because it helps make my days better. So maybe if I keep things like wrapping paper safe and secure," - Hatsune giggled in shame - "The world around me will become more perfect. If my possessions are unharmed, maybe I'll be okay..."

"Hatsune..." Otonashi murmured, unsure of what to say. Usually his little sister was clueless when it came to philosophy or the meaning of life, instead constantly talking about making friends and studying, yet here she was explaining the important of material possessions to him. A small piece of him was nagging that this was important, that Hatsune's words should be telling him something, but what? That she was really very worried about her condition, despite her carefree disposition? That she actually resented her life? No, the latter probably wasn't true. Even with such an (admittedly) meager existence, Hatsune was happy.

It was what he lived for, after all.

Deciding to change tact, Otonashi said, "It's about time for your afternoon nap, isn't it?"

Hatsune turned and looked at the clock mounted on the wall. "Oh, you're right!" she said, eyes widening in surprise. "I guess the time just slipped by," she giggled. "That's too bad. I'm not even tired! I want to keep talking with Onii-chan!"

Grinning, Otonashi chided, "You know you need your rest. Don't worry, I'll come back after my work shift is over and we can read a book together. How does that sound?"

Of course, Hatsune was delighted, and it was more than enough incentive for her to fall asleep as quickly as possible. A mere three minutes later, Otonashi sat in his folding chair, staring at Hatsune's sleeping form in silence.

_Hatsune,_ he thought, rolling the familiar name around in his head. _The first sound. _That was the meaning of his little sister's name. The first sound, or the greatest sound. Hatsune's name had always been a bit of a running joke within her closest members of the family; after all, the name _Otonashi_ meant _no sound_ in direct contract with _greatest sound._ Although the comparison was mostly meant to be a light joke, Yuzuru couldn't help feeling like his last name was oppressing his little sister symbolically. Hatsune, who was naturally outgoing, friendly and kind and smart and ambitious. Him, who was antisocial, unmotivated, unthinking and uncaring of most people. Yet it was he who had been born with a physically healthy body, and Hatsune was the one bedridden for two years, happy with her life despite the challenges she faced.

Yet he wallowed in misery.

Hatsune was incredibly capable of finding the best things in everything; even when someone died, she would be able to find a bright side to the situation. She was a proton, and Yuzuru was like the electron associated with negative charge. Or perhaps the neutrons, with no charge at all.

Desolate.

_What's important to me?_ Otonashi wondered, leaning back in his seat and staring at the dark ceiling. _What do I live for? Hatsune exists to survive, and to dream. My existence...has no meaning...Hatsune's happiness is the only thing I can think of, yet every day the doctors say her condition is getting worse. All the mangas in the world wouldn't cure her. Money wouldn't cure her, if I had any._

Sighing, Otonashi picked up his things and made his way out of the hospital.

_It should have been me._

"Graduation?"

It was the very next day, and today the sun had managed to peek through the cloud covering for more than a few hours. The rays of light were weak, to say the best, but it was better than the darkness from the day previous. Otonashi was sitting at his usual spot by his sister's bed, listening to her speak.

"That's right!" Hatsune nodded vigorously. "I've always wanted to graduate properly from a school. I was supposed to do so in middle school, but I had to go to the hospital about a week before so I missed it. One of my friends took a video of the whole thing! When everyone's names were called out all of their friends yelled and cheered in congratulations for graduating. It looked really fun!"

"Is that so?" Otonashi said, his voice like an echo. He vaguely remembered his own high school graduation. Nobody had really said much of anything when his name had been called. Just a smattering of polite claps.

"Yeah," Hatsune breathed, smiling out of the window as usual. "But the doctors are still saying I have to stay here. I understand, of course. It's for my health after all. But I miss going to school so much. In the beginning lots and lots of my friends from school would come and visit me to see how I was, but time went by and they don't come anymore. I guess they've become busy and forgotten about me," she finished with a lighthearted laugh. Otonashi had to wonder if it hid despair.

Letting out a tired sigh, Yuzuru clasped his hands before him and stared hard at the ground, organizing his thoughts. The rent had increased slightly last month, and he was trying to calculate just how much longer he would have to work when Hatsune got his attention.

"Onii-chan?"

Startled, he pulled his head up and looked at his sister. "Yes?"

"Onii-chan, are you sad?"

"What?" Otonashi said, caught off guard by the sudden questions.

Hatsune frowned at him and put her manga aside for the moment. "Lately you've seemed very stressed," she explain, reaching over to straighten out some of his bangs. "Are you alright? Is visiting me a strain on your day? You don't have to come, you know...I know you're very busy with-"

"Be quiet."

"Huh?"

"I said be quiet," Yuzuru repeated, barely keeping his voice form shaking too much from poorly contained emotion. "I'll always come to visit you. So don't say stuff like that."

Hatsune sensed the change in her brother's mood and withdrew her hands. "Okay. I'm sorry."

Meanwhile, Otonashi tried to discreetly wipe at his eyes while the battles raged inside his heart. _How could she say such a thing?_ He thought. _She's the only reason I head into the next day..._

His thoughts were cut off when a pair of warm arms enveloped him.

"Don't cry, Onii-chan," Hatsune's voice whispered to him, sounding on the verge of tears herself. "Don't be sad, or I'll become like that too." She pulled him out of the chair and into her embrace with all her strength, considering her slim build. Before he knew it, she had him in her grip, head in her lap as she stroked his hair comfortingly.

"Don't be sad, Onii-chan..." Hatsune echoed, staring at the wall. "I try every day to get better for you, so that we can go outside and play together. You're the reason why I try so hard. So please, Onii-chan, don't be sad.

"I love you."

Those last three words were all it took for the tears to spring from Yuzuru's eyes, and once the dam broke it could not be stopped. Quietly he sobbed, while his sister held him, and for a moment the roles were reversed. His silent lamentations filled the void in a quiet room in and even emptier building, and as his tears fell and she held him Hatsune felt like the silence would never end.

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**Please review!**


	20. 16 Crazy Facts About Angel Beats

**Hey guys! I'm back with a little sub chapter for you all. It's a list of 16 facts about Angel Beats! that you've probably never heard of, and if you have already seen all of these you are quite the remarkable human being. Please feel free the drop a review if you were just as shocked as I was to find this stuff out...**

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Chapter 19.5: Things You Didn't Know About Angel Beats

1. The store in which the final scene of the anime takes place (where Kanade and Otonashi are shown to have reincarnated) sports the name "10Q LL ANGEL." Note that this may be read as "Thank you, love lots. Angel." -**OMFG.**

2. Angel Player has been present for an immeasurable amount of time in the Afterlife, as there were people fighting against the unjust actions of God before the arrival of Yuri Nakamura. Kanade Tachibana, who used the software to structure her powers, found the program on her own and analyzed it...

3. On the drama CDs, Shiina can be heard laughing** (holy shit...)**

4. The scene in episode 12 where Kanade leaps into a heaving mass of Kage and blasts them with a sphere of light was actually one of her skills. It has been dubbed the "Sonic Rotation" and involves her activating Hand Sonic and spinning around rapidly to create a shockwave.

5. The Angel Player program is written in English. This implies that Kanade is at least capable of reading the language, those this was never addressed.

6. In Episode 3, during the scene where the SSS infiltrate Kanade's computer, the name Tachibana Kazunobu" is shown on the school roster they pull up. This person's relationship with Kanade Tachibana is unknown. **This is going to turn into a later chapter. I just know it.**

7. Kanade's disappearance is the only one to be actually shown on screen.

8. When the song "My Most Precious Treasure" played during Episode 10, the vocals were by LiSA. When it played through the closing credits of Episode 13 however, the song was sung by Karuta (another Japanese singer).

9. Takamatsu's last name is Toko.

10. When Otonashi is shown sitting alone during the Another Epilogue! episode, there is a vase filled with flowers from Kanade's garden to his side.

11. Aside from Kanade, nobody has ever referred to Otonashi by his given name (Yuzuru).

12. It is speculated that the title _Angel Beats! _Is derived from the fact that the heart of an angel (Kanade) beats within Otonashi's chest.

13. In the Alternative Epilogue when Otonashi walks back to the Student Council Room, if you look carefully to the left of the screen, you could see pictures of the main members of the SSS. It is unknown on how he got those images. **Stalker-status.**

14. The nicknames "Yurripe," "Tenshi/Angel," "Shiinacchi," and the term "NPC" have all been thought up and supplied by Hideki Hinata.

15. In Drama CD 3, it's revealed that he and Yui are never reunited. When he was reincarnated, his new self was homosexual, and he had no interest in Yui when she appeared again in the afterlife, instead going after Otonashi. **But I'm not sure whether those things are canon or not...**

16. The English voice actor for Fujimaki (Andrew Love) is married to Kanade's voice actor, Emily Neves.

* * *

**Tell me what you thought! :D**


	21. Dependencies

Chapter 20: Dependencies

"Student Council President, are you sure?"

As Naoi's words left his mouth, the tempest that raged outside the building roared in all its fury and flung lightning at the earth, spearing the sky with a tremendous orchestra. The hypnotist was standing by the door of the student council meeting room, which was occupied by only one other person; a certain petite white-haired Angel.

Tenshi, who sat in a folding chair facing opposite him, reached up the tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Turning her head only a minuscule amount to address her subordinate, she said softly, "Yes. It must be done."

The muscles in Naoi's neck jumped at the girl's response, and a bead of sweat formed on his forehead and began making its way down the side of his face. The Council President had proposed some unorthodox methods of keeping the students in line before, but this was...

This was simply unheard of.

Naoi was startled out of his tormenting thoughts when the storm outside screamed once again. For what felt like the first time ever, bad weather had its grip around the school. Rain pounded the windows in sheets in quick succession, almost like a rapid, relentless drumroll that sent everybody on edge for the entire day. Trying desperately to resume his composure, Naoi stuttered, "H-How will you deal with the reactions of the students? They are sure to rebel at such treatment-"

"Just keep a little faith in me, Naoi," Tenshi interrupted him, smoother than Nutella. "Their suffering shall be a testament to what happens when you step even a toe out of line here. They must learn their lesson. So their reactions will not matter to me."

Naoi's hands had also begun to sweat by now, and all he could do was nod frantically, squeak out a "Yes, ma'am!" and stiffly walk out of the room.

Once he'd left, Angel allowed herself a small smile.

And outside, the tempest howled in all its agony.

_Tap tap tap tap tap._

_My life really needs a "high-tension release" button,_ Yuri thought as her nimble fingers raced their way across the keyboard of her computer. _I wonder if that could be an operation later in the future..._

Dismissing the idea, she continued working.

_Click clack tap tap click..._

Outside, the orange sun continued its descent from the heavens. It was around six in the evening, and the sun had just about disappeared behind the horizon. The storm from the day before had drenched every exterior surface in the Afterlife during its deluge, and it had essentially taken the sun the entire day starting the following morning to dry everything out. Now, as Yuri turned in her chair to watch the said sun set, she felt her mental concentration breaking down. _I've been at it for hours,_ she thought,closing her laptop and rising from her seat. _Maybe I should take a break and go get some coffee._

Yuri had decided that she would indeed go ahead and do just that when the door to Headquarters was pushed open.

Looking up, she saw Otonashi making his way into the room. "Ah, Yuri," he greeted her, turning briefly to close the door and step into the middle of the room. "There you are."

Yuri tilted her head as she put her hands on her hips and regarded her subordinate. "Were you searching for me?"

"Yeah. The others were outside and we all wondered what you were up to up here. Most of them assumed you were planning another operation; I guess they were right," Otonashi added, eyeing the laptop sitting on the desk.

"Oh," Yuri murmured, also looking down at her computer. "Operations..."

An embarrassed look crossing his face, Otonashi continued, "But of course, some of us had our own speculations. Hinata, for example, seemed quite sure you were doing 'other things' up here all by yourself..."

"What other things?" Yuri demanded, a slight flush rising to her cheeks as some rather inappropriate examples of "other things" were supplied by her brain.

"Nothing really," Otonashi assured her as he smiled amiably. "He just thought that maybe you were fooling around in secret while nobody was around to watch."

Yuri's eyes narrowed. Closing her eyes and turning her head away from him, she said nonchalantly, "Well, you can tell Hinata that he's got the wrong idea. I don't have anything to hide."

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the two people conversing inside the Headquarters, someone else was passing by the doorway. Upon hearing the voices inside the room, Angel turned her head with her eyes narrowed. She always made sure to walk along the wall furthest from that door, ever since a massive hammer had fallen from the roof seemingly out of nowhere. Not that the heavy object would have obliterated her if it was the even make contact, but the interruption had been annoying all the same. She hadn't even been aware that the SSS were holed up there at that point. Even from this distance though, her keen ears could pick up snatches of the conversation going on inside. Although spying on another student was strictly forbidden by the rules, Kanade found herself rooted to the spot, listening attentively.

"_Anyways, you want go...get some...cafeteria hall?"_ Came a familiar voice from behind the door. Otonashi-san. Judging from the volume of his voice, he must have been standing pretty close to the entrance.

There was a muffled reply to his proposition, and Angel had to strain herself to pick up just a few snippets of it: "_Sure...guess so. Haven't...a while. Just in love...that stuff. I'm hooked. Doesn't...work, though."_

Then Otonashi's reply. _"I know, right? Sometimes it gets stuck when I put it in...that stupid hole...not wide enough."_

That final sentence reached Kanade's ears and she just barely quirked an eyebrow, which in itself was actually an excessive reaction (by her standards). Hole? Stuck? Not wide enough? As Kanade's cool mind ran through what she'd just heard, she (surprisingly enough) came to the conclusion that any other normal teen would have come to. _Are they having intercourse within school boundaries? _At the very least, they would do something like...like _that_ far from the school, where they wouldn't be interrupted. Where, though? The river was a mile away, and from her observations Otonashi and Yuri seemed to stay inside of the school premises nearly around the clock. That meant...

A slight glint of steel entered Kanade's otherwise impassive eyes.

_It must be within the school campus. Disgusting._

For the first time in years, Angel was stunned thoughtless. Her fingers twitched as of their one accord, trying to find something to grab onto in order to steady herself. _So they're willing to go this far... _she fumed suddenly, a fire lighting itself in her golden eyes. _I can't allow this to happen. They must be stopped._

Taking a deep breath, Kanade resumed her walk down the halls of the school.

_It seems I was right to punish them after all._

A few minutes later, Otonashi and Yuri were walking their way down the halls of the school, headed towards the area where the cafeteria was located. Their destination was the hallway that led off from there, where all of the vending machines were situated. Their target: Key Coffee.

"I haven't had any Key Coffee in a while," Yuri had said earlier. "Gotta say that I'm just in love with that stuff. I'm hooked, really. The stupid vending machine doesn't always work, though."

"I know, right?" Otonashi had sighed in agreement. "Sometimes it get stuck when I put it in, the coin I mean. That stupid hole is not wide enough. They really need to fix that."

Now, as the two of them rounded the last corner, they were surprised to find the place completely empty. Usually a small group of NPCs and living students could be found here, buying what snacks and drinks they wanted before the night fell and curfew went into effect. Yet today, the place was completely deserted.

"Where is everybody?" Otonashi said, voicing both of their concerns.

Shrugging, Yuri said, "Don't know. All I know is this means I won't have to wait in a massive line to get my coffee." That said, she walked over to the vending machine with the Key Coffee in it and tried to slot her coin into the feed.

Otonashi joined her as Yuri frowned in confusion. "The machine won't accept my coin," she said dumbly.

"Maybe it's out of order?" Otonashi speculated, eyeing the machine in question.

"If it was there would be a notice sign stuck to the front. And it looks like it's working fine. But it won't let me have any Key Coffee!" Yuri suddenly yelled, fuming. She'd been looking forward to drinking some of that stuff, too. She would never openly admit it to anyone other than Otonashi, but she was obsessed with Key Coffee.

And one of the myriad of reasons why she could confide in Otonashi (aside from his level-headedness in comparison to the likes of Noda) was because he shared her addiction.

_I'll stop them right in their tracks,_ Angel thought calmly as she made her way through the halls of the school. Thankfully, the halls were quiet and empty today. _It must be due to my new punishment,_ she thought absently as she quickened her pace. _Serves them all right. At least they're staying inside of their rooms instead of causing trouble everywhere._

But her idea to remove all the Key Coffee from the vending machines had, apparently, failed to faze Nakamura and her friends. Kanade had felt like showing just a _little_ compassion and caring would come across as acceptable to the girl, but it seemed she was wrong.

_A shame, really. _Kanade had come up with the idea one morning during a meeting. Key Coffee was widely recognized as the most popular selection among the students of the school, regardless of whether they were NPCs or living humans. The solution, she'd then explained, to reining in their horrible behavior as of late was to take such a thing away. The NPCs had become increasingly rebellious as of late. Even last week, a massive group of NPCs had soundly refused to leave a guerrilla concert staged by that rock girl group, GirlDeMo. Usually a stern command from the teachers was enough to send them scurrying to their beds, and this new strain of resistance was troubling.

Hence the banishment of the coffee.

The students had gone absolutely ballistic over the new ban. Complaints had filled the staff's office in a matter of hours, overflowing the industrial sized box where complaints were supposed to be submitted. NPCs and students alike had come to her dorm throughout the day in order to beg her to reconsider. She had never swayed, however, and the general populace seemed to have given up. Now the halls were silent.

_Just one more mess to clean up, and everything will be accomplished,_ Kanade determined as she made her way towards the last corner.

"Here's another one. Just try shoving it in this time!"

Angel threw the brakes and stopped dead in her tracks, the blush returning to her cheeks. Flattening herself against the wall, she listened carefully, intent on gathering evidence for a future prosecution.

"Are you sure?" His voice. Otonashi.

"Yes, I'm sure! How else are we going to fit this stupid thing in there? You'd need the world's greatest lubricant ever to put it in normally."

"Yeah, but I'm afraid of breaking it."

"Pfft, don't worry about it, Otonashi. This thing's probably been pounded on by every single person in the school. It never works right, after all. But it is durable."

Around the corner, Angel gritted her teeth to the point of breaking them. But then something occurred to her. _Durable?_

"Well if this one doesn't work, we won't get to try again. I'm all out. This has got to be at least our fifth try."

"Then have no regrets and do it! I swear, Otonashi, sometimes you're so indecisive. Just close your eyes and do it as hard as you can! Stop being so useless."

"Is this really worth it, Yuri?"

"Of course! Don't you know how much stimulus that stuff gives you when you drink it?"

"Then here, I-"

_That's it. _With a quiet whisper, Angel had her Hand Sonics appear until they were only semi-formed, so that the length of her sleeves would serve to conceal them until they were needed. The Battlefront members had never known, but during many of their meetings she had done this; they just never noticed.

Then she steeled herself and turned the corner, ready to see the worst.

Surprisingly enough, she didn't have to stamp the next thing she saw with an expulsion brand.

Otonashi and Nakamura were standing...in front of the vending machine. In a rare moment of confusion, Kanade narrowed her eyes at them. But the conversations she had heard beforehand...weren't they...?

At that moment, Yuri pounded her fist against the steel of the machine and growled, "Still can't fit those stupid coins in there."

That one statement was all it took for Angel to perceive her misunderstanding. _Ah,_ she thought neutrally, her eyes losing their slight concentration. _A poorly made assumption, it seems. _ Mentally flexing her will, she allowed her blades to whisper out of existence before she turned to leave.

"Tenshi!"

Freezing, Angel turned her head to the side and regarded Yuri with one golden orb. "Yes?"

Pointing indignantly at the vending machine, the girl spat out, "Do you have any idea what's wrong with this stupid piece of crap? It's always been wacky, but even when we manage to get a damn coin into it they just get spat right back out! I _need_ my coffee. My patience wears thin. Can you explain this?"

Tilting her head to the side, Kanade, quite casually, dropped the bomb. "I've removed all of the coffee from the machines."

There was a dead silence in the cafeteria hall.

"...Excuse me?"

"The Key Coffee. All of it. They've been banned. It's a punishment."

"Tenshi..."

Either failing to take the hint or just because she had a bad habit of unintentionally challenging people, Kanade said softly, "Yes?"

At that moment, Yuri raised her head, and her eyes blazed with an endless rage. "You...you...you DEMON!" And with those words, she pounced.

Without a gun.

Sighing briefly, Angel pulled out her blades and let them whistle through the air.

_Chop, chop._

A few moments later, Otonashi stared with a stricken expression on his face at Yuri's carcass. True, she wasn't really dead, but the sight still made him a little queasy. The blood staining the walls weren't going to be easy to scrub off either, and at this rate Angel was probably going to employ him to do it himself, seeing as his accomplice had been thoroughly minced.

The chilling silence was abruptly broken when Angel addressed him with a rare commanding tone.

"What do you have to say for yourself?"

Steeling himself, Otonashi raised his head and retorted, "It tastes good," Before turning tail and speeding his way down the hall.


End file.
